Kharkar, a fisherman, has saved six persons from drowning since 1993. His latest heroic effort was on February 2 this year, when he rescued Sastan Maurya from being gulped by the waters. Maurya was walking across the railway bridge over Thane creek when he heard the blaring of a horn. ``I turned to look and missed my step on the sleepers,'' Maurya says. His fall attracted attention of other jaywalkers who screamed for help, and before anyone knew, Kharkar had unanchored his country craft and rushed in. ``As he's fat, pushing him on board the craft was tougher than preventing him from drowning,'' says Kharkar.

Rajesh's first effort on a stormy night in September 1993was even more difficult. The creek was in spate, and even the most daring in the village refused to enter it to save one Jeetendra, who had fallen in. Rajesh agreed to go, but only after his father Kisan (now no more) and mother Changunbai had a fierce argument. ``My husband gave me the choicest of abuses for backing Rajesh,'' but finally mother and son managed to convince the father and Rajesh set out in his oar-driven craft. ``It took me 45 minutes to locate Jeetendra,'' Rajesh recounts. Another 30 minutes were needed to help him on to the craft, because the choppy waters kept tossing the craft aside.``Once ashore I was so tired, I had to be helped back home by my father,'' says Kharkar, adding, ``the hope I then saw in Jeetendra's eyes will stay with me forever.''

Does Rajesh never fear for his life? ``Who doesn't?'' he asks. ``But I worry only till I reach the shore. After that, all my efforts are concentrated on saving the drowning person.''

Accolades have taken their time coming for him. In February'95, he was given a certificate for his efforts by then Thane police commissioner Basavaraj Agashe. On February 14 this year, he was felicitated by Union Minister of State for Railways Ram Naik. Kharkar's services are solicited outside too. He was recently invited by Rabade police in Navi Mumbai to fish out a young girl's body from a 4'x6'x6' water tank with only a manhole-sized lid.

The quiet and shy Kharkar says he finds it difficult to handle all the attention. ``Anyone in my village could go and do the same,'' he points out modestly, adding: ``The government should do something about this place since it's so risk-prone. But just because it is doing nothing I can't sit and watch people die.'' He laments he's not equipped with a motor-boat with lights. If he had it, ``some of the 25 persons I had to fish out dead could have been saved,'' he says, as he would have been able to reach them earlier.He has also had a very unpleasant experience once. ``A few days after I fished out a youth's body in June '97,his parents came back to ask me where his gold chain and watch was,'' he remembers. ``It took a lot of convincing to prove to them the deceased wasn't wearing those items when I discovered the body,'' he says.

From then on, Kharkar decided to take every case to the police station. ``Once a panchanama is done I have no worries,'' he explains. A deeply religious Kharkar, who has studied only till Std IV hopes ``God will keep me strong enough so that I can continue to help people.''