Celebrating World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2024, this article compiles top ten inspiring reports showcasing how the relentless efforts by individuals, citizen groups and community have been successful in protection and reviving of wetlands, mangroves, waterbodies and lakes in India during 2023. Please also see part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 of the yearend overviews documenting the status of Ramsar and other wetlands, relevant government decisions and judicial intervention regarding protection of wetlands in the country during the past one year.
1. Chennai Ennore residents release ‘people’s plan’ to restore wetlands & livelihoods A couple of weeks after the State govt announced allocation of ₹40 crore for the restoration of Ennore Creek as part of the Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission, a ‘People’s Plan for Eco-restoration of Ennore Wetlands’, prepared by Coastal Resource Centre, a city-based non-governmental organisation, with inputs from residents and fishers of the region, was released on Jan 27, 2024. At an event organised by Ennore People’s Protection Group, the first copy of the plan was received by retired Odisha High Court Chief Justice S. Muralidhar, Justice (retd) K. Kannan of Punjab & Haryana High Court, and Justice (retd) D. Hariparanthaman of Madras High Court. They will also head a high-level people’s advisory committee to gather people’s suggestions to restore Ennore and convey them to the State government.
As per a release from the Coastal Resource Centre, the retired judges said that the people’s plan could guide the government in aligning its plans for the region with the aspirations of local communities. The plan draws from stories and anecdotes from local fishers, salt pan workers, and other Ennore residents about people’s way of life, their culture, rituals and beliefs, cuisine, and the Kosasthalaiyar river — all of which have been lost due to the takeover of the region by industries. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/ennore-residents-release-peoples-plan-to-restore-wetlands-and-livelihoods/article67783639.ece (27 Jan. 2024)
The plan, drafted by activists including Nityanand Jayaram and K Saravanan after consulting with the people of Ennore criticised the overlapping state government initiatives including the Chennai River Restoration Trust, remediation of ash-contaminated areas of the Ennore wetlands and the restoration of Ennore wetlands, for not engaging with local communities and demarcating less than 1% of the wetlands that reportedly existed in 1996.
At the event, Justice Kannan pointed out that the disassociation by the state could be observed at all levels and added, “There is not a single elected representative here today. No Member of Parliament (MP), no local MLA and not even ward councillors are present here today. It is just Ennore’s people.” Justice Muralidhar said, “All the three of us will ensure that the attention of the government is drawn to the issues of Ennore.”
Further, the plan demarcates the lands that need to be targeted and names industries and agencies that will be responsible for the landscape’s transformation over the years. It also elaborates on the need for changes that are required to be undertaken by various departments. The plan also emphasises the need for a study to be commissioned by the state to ascertain the threats to the health of the people caused by the air quality. https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/residents-of-chennais-ennore-propose-plan-to-restore-ecology-livelihood (28 Jan. 2024)
2. Bhuj Residents seek restoration of 78 lakes, ponds Prominent residents of Bhuj, on May 9, 2023 wrote to the state and Union govts as well as the Bhuj municipality, urging that encroachment from lakes, feeder canals and natural water channels be removed and the town’s water harvesting and storage system be restored to ensure water security. The group, which include former Bhuj municipality president Arun Vacchrajani; architect and environmentalist Sandeep Virmani; local journalists and Aseem Mishra, director of NGO Homes in the City; wrote to the secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the chief secretary of Gujarat and the president of Bhuj municipality.
The letter stated that there used to be 72 lakes, ponds, channels and canals in and around Bhuj town after it was founded around 400 years ago. These lakes and ponds, including the historic Hamirsar lake in the heart of Bhuj town make surface water available and also replenish the aquifers. “At present, only 38 water reservoirs are visible in the city. Of these, 13 are registered as a lake on the 7/12 records, whereas the rest are shown as ‘Shree Sharkar’ (government land),” it said. “…especially after the devastating 2001 earthquake, when the city was expanded to decongest the walled city and four relocation sites were developed, various institutions such as Kutch University were built… the water channels were disturbed and many (fully/partially) filled with debris, and people started residing over these water channels,” the letter added. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/bhuj-residents-seek-restoration-of-78-lakes-ponds-for-towns-water-security-8600848/ (10 May 2023)
Rohit Prajapati said that there was a crisis with regard to the existence of the water bodies in Bhuj. The report by the environment activists stated that historical Pragsar lake was encroached by none other than government agencies. A police parade ground has been developed there, by filling up the lake, the report alleged. “After concerned citizens wrote to us regarding the condition of lakes and water bodies in Bhuj, a site visit was planned last month with the officials of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Bhuj municipality,” said Prajapati addressing the media in Bhuj.
“After the visit, GPCB directed the local civic authorities to take concrete action to improve the condition of water bodies,” said Prajapati. According to Prajapati, lakes and water bodies have to be notified in government records accordingly to protect them from encroachment. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/27-water-bodies-in-bhuj-notified-as-wasteland-in-govt-records-activists/articleshow/100117486.cms (10 May 2023); https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/bhuj-citizens-seek-restoration-hamirsar-and-other-water-bodies (17 May 2023)
3. Goa Locals deliberate on proposal to notify 5 lakes as wetlands As the State Wetland Authority (SWA) proposed to notify five lakes as wetlands in the coastal village of Benaulim, gram sabha members on May 10 deliberated on the proposal, with suggestions made to protect the interests of the locals whose houses are located in the vicinity and ensure traditional fishing activity in the water bodies. While the draft proposal to notify the five lakes has found favour with the special gram sabha, members, however, sounded a caution that houses located in the buffer zone or proposed for construction in the no development buffer zone should be exempted from the provision.
“After receiving the draft notification, we had an inspection of the five lakes before urging the sarpanch to call for the special gram sabha. The people can submit their suggestions and objections to the draft by May 23. The panchayat members in whose jurisdiction the five lakes are located have been given the survey numbers of the owners to call on them and explain the draft wetland proposal,” said chairman of the village bio-diversity management committee Charles D’Silva. “We will meet again on May 25 after which a final decision will be taken before submitting the panchayat decision to the wetland authority before May 28,” he added.
Saying the people have not objected to the proposal to declare the five lakes as wetlands, Charles, however, said the people have the right to take their call on the matter. “It should not happen that the proposal is seen as being dumped on the people. People of Benaulm had a bad experience with the western bypass without taking the people into confidence,” he said. https://www.freepressjournal.in/goa/goa-benaulim-locals-deliberate-on-proposal-to-notify-five-lakes-as-wetlands-at-special-gram-sabha (11 May 2023)
4. Mumbai Chalo Chanakya Citizens’ Movement Gains Momentum In the ongoing battle to preserve the T.S Chanakya wetland and mangrove, the ‘Chalo Chanakya’ citizens’ movement marked its 6th edition on Jan 28, 2024. Advocates and environmentalists gathered for the “Chalo Chanakya” Citizens March, demanding the handover of the endangered wetland to state authorities for conservation and the protection of the surrounding mangrove belt.
The peaceful yet impactful protest witnessed a significant turnout, with notable figures from society, students, and residents joining forces against the human-induced devastation of Navi Mumbai’s Chanakya Wetland and adjacent areas. Renowned personalities such as Sunil Agarwal, Shruti Agarwal, eco-warriors like Dharmesh Barai, and volunteers from the Environment Life Foundation actively participated in the demonstration.
The mangroves is perceived as a threat to the builder’s construction plans. In response to these challenges, the participants of the protest collectively called for immediate govt action:
1. Handover all wetlands mentioned in the National Wetlands Atlas to the state wetlands authority. 2. Expedite the transfer of the remaining mangroves to the Mangroves Cell. 3. Advocate for the punishment of culprits, including builders and officials, involved in the conspiracy to destroy mangroves for personal gain. 4. Call for the arrest of officials responsible for permitting 17 buildings on Chanakya Lake, disregarding the Bombay High Court order protecting the lake. https://www.newsband.in/article_detail/chalo-chanakya-citizens-movement-gains-momentum (29 Jan. 2024)
Hundreds of citizens took part in the “Chalo Chanakya” walkathon led by environmental activists, voicing their concerns against the destruction of mangroves and wetlands. The gathering occurred at the wetland behind T S Chanakya along the Palm Beach Road in Nerul on a Sunday morning. Sunil Agarwal, an environmental activist, described the event as a resounding turnout for the “Chalo Chanakya” Citizens March, bringing together citizens, students, residents, and institutions to protest the human-induced devastation of Navi Mumbai’s Chanakya Wetland. Agarwal expressed concern about a recent distressing incident where unidentified individuals mercilessly felled numerous mangrove trees near the water body without any decisive action from authorities. https://www.lokmattimes.com/maharashtra/chalo-chanakya-citizens-rally-to-save-chanakya-wetland-from-devastation-a475/ (26 Dec. 2023)
Conservationist Stalin Dayanand criticized CIDCO, stating, “CIDCO is very well aware of the violation, but it simply wants to tire out the legal system by hearing out multiple complaints on similar matters.” In a collective plea to authorities, organizers reiterated the call for immediate intervention to safeguard the ecological balance of this “Gold land of Birds heaven.” The collective voice of concerned citizens and environmental advocates resonated through hashtags such as #chaloChanakya, #savewetlands, #savemangroves, and others. https://www.newsband.in/article_detail/chalo-chanakya-march-garners-massive-support-for-mangrove-protection (26 Dec. 2023)
When citizens approached the Mangrove cell to have the destruction of mangroves at Chanakya lake inspected, it appeared that the cell had not been handed over these mangrove forests and so, it wouldn’t be able to file an FIR for destruction. As a result, residents themselves had to investigate the details of the wetland area’s extent and ownership through RTI’s and opensource material. On inspecting the National Wetland Inventory, it was found that around 14.74 hectares of the wetland including the lake and its surrounding mangrove zones are still under the ownership of CIDCO, despite the 2018 court order. Disturbingly, in the days leading up to the razing, security personnel from a private builder had even begun patrolling the forested area, informing locals and fishermen that the lake had been sold to them for the construction of a hotel and residential towers. https://citizenmatters.in/navi-mumbai-mangrove-destruction-civic-action-41167 (15 Jan. 2024)
5. Bengaluru Citizens’ groups frame manifesto to save lakes Ahead of the Assembly polls in Karnataka, several citizens’ bodies formed to protect the lakes of Bengaluru have framed a manifesto for the political parties with an aim to protect the waterbodies. The manifesto drafted by conservationists Ram Prasad and Nagesh Aras has been approved by several lake groups. It recommends the political parties to strengthen the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) by reconstituting its Technical Approval Committee (TAC) with the inclusion of environmental/ecological experts such as geologists, hydrogeologists, limnologists, toxicologists and civil engineers.
“Develop KTCDA as a single-window clearance process for the development of lakes/tanks. No lake must be developed without a Detailed Project Report (DPR) that is duly approved by the TAC, irrespective of size and custodianship of the lake, and placed in the public domain,” said the manifesto. It also recommends the parties to constitute district and state-level lake committees as per the orders of the Karnataka High Court and implement the 2012 orders of the court based on the Justice N K Patil report. It further recommends stopping the construction of roads and bridges inside or in the buffer zones of the lakes/tanks and adopting a zero tolerance policy towards encroachments and illegal rejuvenation of waterbodies.
“Formulate policy/laws for citizen (stakeholders) participation under participatory governance as per constitutional amendments 73 and 74. In the DPR of lakes, environmental and ecological aspects must be given priority, including rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharging, and flood mitigation. During the filling up of lakes with treated water from STPs, real-time continuous monitoring of water quality must be made mandatory and encouraged,” the manifesto says. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/ahead-of-karnataka-polls-bengaluru-citizens-groups-frame-manifesto-to-save-lakes-8555018/ (13 Apr 2023)
6. Ooty Demand to halt station development 14 conservation groups and citizens’ collectives in the Nilgiris have come together to demand the Southern Railways to stop destroying a wetland adjoining the Ooty lake, as the railways looks to renovate and develop Udhagamandalam Railway Station. “It is a known fact that the road below the railway bridge leading to the boat house and situated right next to the railway station already gets heavily flooded during rains… If the planned development is not stopped and the marsh is allowed to be concretized, the resultant flooding will fallout to the main arterial roads of Ooty town,” they said in a letter addressed to the district Collector, Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris), District Forest Officer and the Salem Division of Southern Railways.
The letter point to the already-abandoned construction of the staff training centre at the railway station, which was let go due to the wetland soil being unable to hold the weight of the construction, rendering any construction pointless in the long-run. G. Janardhanan, President of the Ooty Public Awareness Association (OPAA), said that instead of pushing ahead with plans to destroy what is left of the marsh, the railways must focus on restoring it to its prior state. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/conservationists-demand-halting-of-ooty-station-development-that-is-destroying-wetland/article67461251.ece (26 Oct. 2023)
Construction of the training centre at the railway station was started around five years ago, despite objections. Previously, the 2.5-acre wetland used to be home to a wide variety of birds and plant life. Till date, the area is used as a foraging ground by Toda buffaloes, a native breed of cattle indigenous to the Nilgiris. However, after a few buildings were constructed on the wetland, it became apparent to the railways that the ground was simply unsuited to supporting permanent concrete structures, forcing them to abandon the project. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/conservationists-call-for-restoration-of-wetland-near-ooty-railway-station/article66964006.ece (13 June 2023)
Chairperson of the Confederation of Environment Associations of Nilgiris (CEAN), Surjit K Chaudhary, a retired IAS officer, has stated that both the Salem division of Southern Railways and the Tourism Department are in violation of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and has urged the District Collector to immediately stop work at both the project sites surrounding the Ooty lake. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/railways-tourism-department-violating-wetland-rules-in-udhagamandalam-says-conservation-group/article67476547.ece (30 Oct 2023)
G. Janadhanan, president of the OPAA, said rules were in place to protect wetlands but were being ignored, even by government departments. Like grasslands, the importance of wetlands in preserving local biodiversity is often neglected, said Mr. Janardhanan, pointing to the loss of other wetlands in the Nilgiris such as the Rifle Range wetland in Kotagiri. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/damage-to-wetland-inside-forest-draws-criticism-from-conservationists-in-nilgiris/article66531601.ece (20 Feb. 2023)
7. Mumbai Residents come together to protect wetlands Recognising the impending environmental crisis, these concerned residents turned to a stalwart ally, the Navi Mumbai Environmental Preservation Society (NMEPS), which had plans to legally contest the auction process. NMEPS had earned a reputation as a fearless advocate for safeguarding the local environment. Their track record included a relentless six-year legal battle through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court of Mumbai.
This battle had culminated in the cancellation of plans for a golf course in the city’s precious wetlands. Furthermore, the court, recognising the necessity of sustained wetland protection, mandated the creation of a mechanism to ensure such preservation.
However, NMEPS was not content with just legal victories; they were equally passionate about involving the community in various initiatives to foster environmental awareness. Their annual World Wetlands Seminar, Inter-School Environment Quiz, and Painting Competition ignited the flame of environmental consciousness among students. Clean-up drives, nature trails, rallies, essay competitions, and Earth Day events underlined the importance of wetlands and mangroves in preserving our planet. https://mumbai.citizenmatters.in/navi-mumbai-wetlands-civic-action-58097 (20 Oct. 2023)
8. Panvel Residents object to ‘artificial beautification’ Panvel lake Residents and environmentalists are upset over the beautification of 400-year-old Vadale lake taken up by the Panvel Municipal Corp (PMC). They said the civic body was destroying natural flora and fauna at the Peshwa-era Ballaleshwar lake, under the guise of beautification.
Mukund Gondhalekar, a social worker, said, “The civic body has installed artificial deer and ducks etc at the lake. This is stupidity. We do not understand who came up with this brilliant idea. Such artificial objects and concrete work will only increase the temperature of the area,” he added. Demanding that these artificial structures should be removed, Gondhalekar added that “the expenses incurred in their installation should be recovered from the person who took the decision to install them.”
Environmentalists had twice complained to CM Eknath Shinde. Exasperated, the environmentalists have dashed off a third email to the CM drawing his attention to the fact that the PMC was going ahead with the work of illuminating the lake’s surroundings with LED lights, building artificial platforms and installing statues of birds and deer at the cost of the natural beauty. Grass and weeds, which are home to several exotic birds such as painted-snipe, are endangered, NatConnect Foundation wrote in its fresh missive to the CM. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/residents-and-environmentalists-upset-over-pmc-s-destruction-of-natural-flora-and-fauna-in-the-beautification-of-vadale-lake-101683312625891.html (06 May 2023)
POST SCRIPT: After SANDRP published this blog, particularly with reference to above report titled “Panvel Residents object to ‘artificial beautification’ Panvel lake” (8th of the top ten Citizens Action to protect wetlands in India in 2023), we received an email about this and are happy to add this from the email dated Feb 5, 2024 from Jyoti Nadkarni:
“I came through your article of SANDRP which mentions top 10 citizens work to protect wetlands. In which no 8 is about Panvel Vadale Lake… Whereas this issue was taken up by me directly with the Panvel Municipal Corporation along with Sudeep Athavale who is resides nearby Panvel lake and is a birder and also works for environment, we both are members of Raigad Wetland Brief Documentation Committee and have listed many wetlands which were not included in the earlier list submitted now to the District Collector Raigad. He was one who had alerted me regarding the artificial beautification of the pond. After which I personally met the PMC Commissioner regarding this issue. Natconnect supported by printing the article in their column as and when I gave the information and wrote to CM.
The reason to write this is only to give you the correct knowledge about this matter as who initiated the matter to save Vadale lake, much before the artificial beautification issue. We, i.e. myself and Sudeep have been seeing the Panvel Municipal Commissioner regarding the restoration of the lake work since 2020 and to start awareness session for the people around and since 15th Feb 2023 I started writing to all the possible authorities including MSBB, Sacon coimbatore, Tehsildar including the forest dept who intervened twice, once I too was with them after the painted snipes males and chicks went missing suddenly due to vegetation clearing and finally reached upto district collector, this matter was also taken up by Mr. Stalin Dayanand from Vanashakti and Tehsildar in wetland grievance committee after which we met the chief Engineer PMC who agreed to maintain the lake without destroying the habitat for the birds. Myself and Sudeep also went personally with the staff to show them the right process of deweeding and cleaning the lake carefully without damaging the nest or eggs hidden inside the vegetation.
Last week too I went and met Deputy Commissioner along with Mr Mangesh Ranawade chairman KTCWA to seek permission to start the educational awareness activity around the lake,and to seek support from PMC to clean and restore all the ponds and wetlands of Kharghar which started from 2nd Feb World Wetlands Day and will be done till it is completely restore and cleaned.”
9. Kolkata Saving One Pond at a Time Local grassroots initiatives, such as the Jaladarsha Collective (JC), are drawing attention to the importance of the wetlands. Sayantoni Datta, researcher and founder of the Jaladarsha Collective, notes: “Over 50 percent of water bodies we surveyed are in a state of neglect. Satellite images of the East Kolkata Wetlands show a similar scale of loss. There are over 350 complaints of encroachment registered.” Theatre practitioners, writers, dancers, painters, and community members formed the Collective in 2019. Its members direct art to reclaim our connection to the environment. JC nurtures collective community art practices and does barefoot research to raise the voices of the most marginalized communities directly affected by climate crisis and environmental hazards.
In 2022, JC surveyed eight wards in southeastern Kolkata where there was rapid urbanization and expansion to assess the health of 250 water bodies. They note that though over 50 percent of the water bodies are dumps for wastewater and garbage, poor people rely on them for bathing, washing, and cooking. In 2023 they conducted a similar audit of four wards in eastern Kolkata surveying 61 ponds. Jaladarsha has published two booklets on their findings with recommendations for preserving these water bodies for local government authorities, developers and for citizens to undertake action-based programs for conservation.
The Birji Patauli fishing cooperative was keen to partner JC in cleaning the waters that had become stagnant & rancid due to the dense growth of water hyacinth in three ponds covering 15.5 bighas of EKW. On April 22, Earth Day, the JC held a community event to celebrate the cleaning of ponds at Patuli and to raise awareness on the importance of revitalizing the wetlands. https://thespace.ink/cover-story/save-east-kolkata-wetlands/ (1 May 2023)
10. Puducherry A vow to save waterbodies Under the aegis of the Alliance for Good Governance (AGG), a battery of 12 civil society organisations, including PondyCAN, joined forces to revive waterbodies. Of the string of over 600 ponds that quenched the thirst during the reign of the Cholas, a thousand years ago, only 420 or so remain in Puducherry. Today, most of the waterbodies in Puducherry are getting restored, thanks to AGG’s efforts.
The system of ‘Kudimaramathu’ in vogue during the Chola era – helped local communities preserve waterbodies through revenue generated from the rearing of fish and the like. They devised a range of strategies, including long-term planning, desilting works, strengthening bunds, and planting trees to maintain the water bodies. Later, the French govt institutionalised the ‘Kudimaramathu,’ renaming it to ‘Syndicate Agricole’ and ‘Caise Commune.’ Budgets, every year, were prepared for the maintenance of ponds and big tanks. Over the years, however, the system failed, as the officials recruited were relatively inexperienced or the work was contracted out. Fund shortage worsened the plight, rues Probir Banerjee of PondyCAN.
Between 1999 and 2008, 83 tanks were restored through the Tank Rehabilitation Project of Pondicherry, which was aided by the European Union. The non-profit organisations under AGG have revived 47 ponds and cleaned up another seven this year. They have created a new tank at Mullodai. Akin to PondyCAN, Kulangal Kappom and ‘Waters of Pondicherry’, too, set out to save the ponds. https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2023/apr/16/better-lake-than-never-a-vow-to-save-pondy-waterbodies-2566374.html (16 April 2023)
Some More Relevant Reports
Tamil Nadu Chitlapakkam Lake Festival to showcase a people’s movement On June 2, 2019, Chitlapakkam Lake Festival got off to a start. Residents of Chitlapakkam and beyond had gathered around the waterbody to give it a through scrub. On the same day in 2020, residents again showed up for the lake — this time, on a screen as the pandemic had locked them indoors, but not the spirit of celebration. Residents called it Chitlapakkam Lake Festival.
The Lake Festival continued in 2021, 2022, and now in 2023, yet another day is in the offing to celebrate a waterbody that has given the neighbourhood its identity and its residents a cause to fight for. The battle began in 2017, having been triggered by the sight of a waste segregation unit established by the Chitlapakkam Selection Grade Town Panchayat (the governing entity before Chitlapakkam got subsumed in the Tambaram Municipal Corp) on what was the buffer zone for the lake. It was set up without a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from SPCB.
Between 2017 and 2019, with Chitlapakkam Rising giving a call for action, lake volunteerism grew. Lake volunteers would clean the lake, submit petitions to govt depts concerned, & knock on the doors of the judiciary to have the unit removed from the lake. Looking back, the mass cleaning drive on June 2, 2019 — ‘Saving Chitlapakkam Lake’ — was a watershed event. Residents meanwhile demanded the removal of a ‘hazardous’ and illegal’ waste incinerator set up near the lakebed by the town panchayat. The NGT asked the district administration to remove the resource recovery centre and the incinerator. However, the district administration failed to take action, forcing the Tribunal to censure and order the removal of the facilities immediately. Following the order, the incinerator and resource recovery were removed on Nov 30, 2020. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chitlapakkam-lake-festival-an-exercise-to-showcase-a-peoples-movement/article66900255.ece (27 May 2023)
Chitlapakkam lake revival a model for collective effort Almost all Chitlapakkam residents have contributed Rs 100 each to construct a bund around the lake. Without the bund, the lake could have been lost to encroachments a long time ago. Despite such efforts, the lake has shrunk in size and has been affected by pollution and encroachments over the years. Ironically, the first encroachments were by the govt. https://chennai.citizenmatters.in/chennai-rwa-chitlapakkam-ngo-tn-government-bund-preservation-79383 (20 July 2023)
Reviving a tank, reclaiming a land, surviving a flood Over the past week, heavy showers inundated most parts of southern Tamil Nadu, but there was a small region in Virudhunagar, around 110 panchayats or so, that was shielded to a large extent from the floods. It was because, for the past year, the people of these villages had managed to restore tanks and bunds in the area. “The farmers here worked together to revive the tanks primarily for agriculture. But tanks also serve as flood mitigators, which is what saved these villages. Each village’s catchment area stores water used to irrigate about 4,000 ha,” says R Seenivasan, team leader of Pradan, a non-profit that works toward rural development. Pradan worked with the villages to restore the water bodies. Looking at the bunds and tanks at Ezhuvani village in Virudhunagar brimming with water, it’s hard to imagine that just a year ago it was an expanse of thorny wilderness, a wasteland, piled with garbage and untamed vegetation. Working together over the past year, they have revived more than 130 tanks and bunds. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/reviving-a-tank-reclaiming-a-land-surviving-a-flood/articleshow/106163424.cms (23 Dec. 2023)
Restoration of Kenikarai Lake The Kenikarai lake in Ramanathapuram district has been dry for 15 years. But now, villagers are celebrating. The lake is going to be filled up again. In March, villagers showed up at the Siva temple dressed up in traditional silk sarees and veshtis, and Nadaswaram music blared from the speakers at the inauguration ceremony of the project that people never thought was even possible.
But 35-year-old engineer Nimal Raghavan who returned from Dubai five years ago has made it his mission to rejuvenate Tamil Nadu’s lakes. “[The] Kenikarai lake is dry, the region has saltwater intrusion. Once the restoration is done in the next two years, the entire problem here will be solved,” he said. Raghavan also wants to raise a forest by creating artificial landfills around the restored lakes. The dug-out mud is used to make thick boundaries for the lake, creating an artificial lake island. https://theprint.in/ground-reports/a-tamil-nadu-engineer-restored-142-lakes-in-india-wont-stop-now-next-station-is-kenya/1507248/ (09 April 2023)
Vinayagar Lake benefitting over 3,000 farmers An organisation called Mega Foundations through its 136th Waterbody Restoration Project has successfully revived the Vinayagar Lake in Thanjavur. https://www.firstpost.com/india/vinayagar-lake-in-tamil-nadus-thanjavur-is-alive-once-again-benefitting-over-3000-farmers-12213692.html (27 Feb. 2023)
A report from Kodai’s beloved lake Through community partnership, Kodaikanal’s residents are working with the municipality to find real solutions for the evolving needs of its central water body.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/the-ripple-effect-a-report-from-kodai-s-beloved-lake-89316 (14 May 2023)
Book on Kodaikanal lake poisoning episode Ameer Shahul is an investigative journalist. In his first book, Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal, Shahul narrates the gripping story of how a Hindustan Unilever-owned thermometer factory unleashed a mercury poisoning catastrophe in Kodaikanal. In this book, Shahul recounts his personal experiences tracking the events as a reporter and Greenpeace campaigner in addition to interviewing ex-workers and their families, and investigating documentary evidence. https://science.thewire.in/environment/kodaikanal-mercury-poisoning-ameer-shahul-heavy-metal/ (24 Feb. 2023)
Karnataka 2 coastal towns reviving millennia-old water bodies Moodbidri and Karkala, two small towns located 32 and 60 kms respectively from Mangaluru in coastal Karnataka, are reviving water bodies built thousands of years ago. Thirteen of Moodbidri’s 18 ancient and historic water bodies, are on the revival path. This is thanks largely to a committed group of citizens who are sparing no effort in reclaiming their natural heritage. Presently, the town draws water from the Puchchmogaru dam built on the already slimming Phalguni river. “In the last two years, we have seen that the water levels in hundreds of dug wells around the revived water bodies have risen.” PK Thomas, who is leading efforts to revive Moodbidri’s water bodies, said. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/these-2-coastal-karnataka-towns-are-reviving-their-millennia-old-water-bodies-here-s-how-93529 (22 Dec. 2023)
Bengaluru Guardians of lakes The residents of KR Puram have launched an initiative ‘I did my bit to this lake’. It aims to foster a sense of responsibility towards the protection and maintenance of lakes, with residents actively participating in various activities to safeguard the water bodies. The residents recently extended their efforts to Varanasi Lake through an awareness campaign. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/guardians-of-our-lakes/articleshow/103221696.cms (31 Aug 2023)
Useful information about lake volunteers orgs in Bangalore. https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/what-do-lake-volunteers-do-1234069.html (Jul 5, 2023) How residents are working on citizen-driven projects to conserve biodiversity around lakes. https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/when-citizens-take-ownership-of-urban-commons/ (27 Sep 2023)
Man conserving lakes Born in 1974, Balaji Raghotham grew up in K R Puram and learnt swimming in some of these lakes. In 1992, he started plantation activities around the lakes. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/balaji-raghotham-emotional-connect-bengaluru-lakes-conserve-8953048/ (24 Sept. 2023)
Jammu & Kashmir Panzath Nag, Kashmir’s unique annual spring cleaning festival
A centuries-old tradition of local communities taking a day off from work to weed and desilt the Panzath Nag in South Kashmir, keeps the water body vibrant and clean. It is believed the 500 springs lie within a radius of 1.5 kilometres from Panzath village where this annual festival is held. https://www.gaonconnection.com/lead-stories/kashmir-panzath-nag-annual-spring-festival-community-culture-environment-52148 (29 May 2023)
Kerala Women make water hyacinths into income ideas The workstation of Kottappuram Integrated Development Society (KIDS) in the Thrissur district of Kerala is a mess of plastic wires at a glance. On a closer look, it becomes evident that the women here are dealing with dried water hyacinths and palm leaves. These women are from the town bordering Ernakulam district.
Launched in 1987, KIDS women workers explored the hidden potential of water hyacinths in 2005. They were the first in India to introduce a loom system for creating products from dried hyacinth stems. https://www.newsclick.in/kerala-these-women-make-environmentally-destructive-water-hyacinths-income-ideas ; https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1150285 (18 Dec. 2023)
Compiled by Bhim Singh Rawat (bhim.sandrp@gmail.com)
SANDRP 