Every morning, long before most of Delhi wakes up, 77-year-old Natarajan begins his day with a mission.

By 4 am, he is already working to ensure that earthen pots filled with drinking water are replenished across the city. For thousands of daily-wage workers, labourers, drivers and passers-by battling the summer heat, these matkas offer something simple yet essential: free access to clean drinking water.

Over the years, this commitment has earned him a name many in Delhi now recognise — the ‘Matka Man’.

Today, his network of 100 matka stations serves hundreds of people. Spread across multiple locations, the initiative has become a lifeline during periods of extreme heat, when........

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