Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), which cleans and restores lakes and ponds across five cities in India, has been focusing on a community-based conservation effort in Pennalur, a suburban village west of Chennai. In the last two months, EFI restored four ponds in this village in Kancheepuram district, with support from the readers of The Hindu.
Arun Krishnamurthy, founder, EFI, said the ponds were identified based on an EFI field study that located areas that needed attention as a result of the damage they suffered in the 2015 December Deluge.
Being the catchment area for the upstream Chembarambakkam Lake, Pennalur was one of the primary choices.
The Kancheepuram district administration offered the necessary administrative support and The Hindu readers sponsored the restoration effort through Shreyas, a charitable trust of The Hindu .
“The local community was helpful and was involved at every stage of the conservation exercise. From identifying the ponds to planning out solutions and executing them, their involvement was total,” Arun said.
As part of the restoration work, the boundaries of the ponds and its channels were demarcated by district authorities, weeds were removed, the ponds were de-silted and the silt removed from them was used to lay strong bunds around the ponds, inlet and outlet channels were regulated, and planting of native trees on the bunds was being undertaken, EFI sources said.
The restoration work started in October 2017 and was completed last year. Other ponds and lakes, found in the vicinity, are being considered for restoration. Arun said that EFI planned to restore 20 more suburban ponds this year.
For details, contact Ram at 9677097824.
