Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), which is involved in clean-up and restoration of lakes across 5 cities in the country, is organising the ‘Pallikaranai Lotus Pond Clean-up’ on September 7 (today) from 7 to 11 a.m. on Velachery Tambaram Main Road, Pallikaranai.
EFI involves the community in any conservation effort, thereby making it sustainable and long-lasting. The objective of the current project is to ensure large-scale awareness and people’s participation in the clean-up process. “The State is taking several steps to clean and restore the pond and EFI supports the government. The aim is to remove all the non-degradable, hazardous wastes from inside as well as the banks of the pond. We are expecting around 80 to 100 volunteers, cutting across age groups, to take part,” Arun Krishnamurthy, founder, EFI, said.
“Another reason is that the water body bears the brunt of civic negligence as it is located on a main thoroughfare. People fling waste-bags from their vehicles is a common sight. We will ensure that the pond is kept garbage-and-plastic-free,” he added. This activity aims at inviting and involving the local community in sustained conservation of the pond. The Madambakkam lake clean-ups will be held on September 14 and 21, and the Mudichur lake clean-up on September 28. Residents Welfare Associations keen on volunteering may write to conservationindia@environment.org.
