Marathon runner want to start 'Rain Centre'

Bangalore, Dec 18 (UNI) Sunila Jayaraj, the lone runner from India in the 15,400 miles Marathon organised by Blue Planet Run Foundation (BPRF) of UN, wants to start a 'rain centre' to provide safe drinking water to the people of his water parched home district Kolar.

Talking to newsmen here Sunila's father and former Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) Director Jayaraj wanted him to start the Centre, not only for providing safe drinking water, but also to impart training in safe water management.

He said that Sunil would be accorded a rousing welcome on his arrival here on December 20.

Sunila was one among the 20 selected from 13 countries to participate in the Marathon which was flagged off from New York on June One and ended on September Four.

"The run did not carry any prizes but was for a cause. The Foundation aims at creating awareness about the need for providing safe water to each and everybody on the earth had organised the Marathon which covered 16 countries spreading message for clean and safe drinking water," he said.

29-year-old Sunila, in his statement put up on the Foundation web site, said, "It is the obligation of every literate and fortunate world citizen to act in every possible way to bring the hope to our less fortunate fellow beings by providing the basic necessities, such as safe drinking water." He is currently earning a doctoral degree in environmental fluid mechanics (flood-related issues in developing countries) at Eastern Michigan University and appointed as Assistant Professor.

UNI