Chennai Chapter : Arasankazhani Lake Restoration By Tree Plantation

Shreeya Jayaraman [PGPX2011] and Ram Srinivasan [PGP1999]

Alumnus readers may recall that November 2015 was the wettest month in a century for Chennai. On December 1, 2015, the heaviest rain in several decades forced authorities to release over 30,000 cusec water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir into the Adyar River, causing unprecedented flooding of the city.

According to the Chennai Corporation, there are more than 150,000 illegal structures in what used to be natural waterbodies. As a consequence, more than 300 tanks, canals and lakes have disappeared. Several reports after the floods indicated that the disaster had to do little with nature, and was largely man-made.

The rapid urbanization and degradation of fresh waterbodies in cities like Chennai and Mumbai has been the primary reason for recent flooding and man-made disaster.

The Environmental Foundation of India [EFI] is Chennai-based environmental conservation NGO focused on habitat restoration. EFI is known for its work in cleaning and scientific restoration of lakes in India for biodiversity.

IIMA Alumni Association Chennai Chapter joined hands with the Environmental Foundation of India [EFI] to strengthen the restoration of natural waterbodies in and around Chennai on Sunday the 26^th November 2017. About 35 alumni and family got together at the banks of Arasankazhani Lake. Arun Krishnamurthy, Founder of the EFI explained the science-based activities to restore natural waterbodies.

The EFI has restored over 39 lakes and 46 ponds, through volunteering, in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Pondicherry and Gujrat in the last 10 years. EFI provides a platform for concerned citizens to volunteer to solve environmental issues facing the country.

IIMA Alumni and family planted trees around the restored Arasankazhani Lake and had an experiential learning of ecological conservation of traditional waterbodies in Chennai.