https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Giving Fresh Life to Waterbodies

Chidambaram town in Tamil Nadu was losing its glory, mainly because its rivers and ponds were reeking of pollution and sewage. But then IAS officer Vishu Mahajan took the matter into his hands and went on to rejuvenate the water bodies.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The ancient town of Chidambaram, in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, was once renowned for its religious significance and beauty, ponds, and lakes. But that was in the past. Today, unfortunately, it has been reduced to just a polluted landmass dotted with dried-up rivers and lakes. From swelling encroachments, wild dumping of waste to sewage outfalls directly into the river, various factors are responsible for the appalling plight of the natural water resources in a town that was once ruled by the Cholas and Pandyas.

But things changed for the better when IAS officer of the 2016 batch, Tamil Nadu cadre, Mr. Vishu Mahajan received the posting of sub-collector Chidambaram division, Cuddalore district in 2018.

Bird eye view of previously polluted waterbodies in Cuddalore

RESTORING DRIED UP LAKES AND RIVERS

The district has over 15 lakes, most of which these interconnected. Therefore, if waste is dumped in one lake, it passes through others before meeting the sea. Lakes of the district have always held a special place in the heart of the residents as some of them are named after saints or have a cultural association.

“Since the area was flood-prone, the idea was to reuse the silt removed from the lakes to make bunds, capture the excess water and make it percolate underground,” stated Mr. Mahajan.

For this, he collaborated with the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) to carry out the mammoth task of cleaning eight lakes. After two lakes were rejuvenated, the municipality signed an MoU with the EFI, a voluntary organization that specializes in the scientific revival of water bodies.

A lake after its revival

INVOLVING THE LOCALS

Mr. Mahajan knew that without removing the encroachments from the region, his plans would not work in the long run. Therefore, in order to tackle the issue, Mr. Mahajan tied up with the Slum Development Authority of the state to rehabilitate encroachers living close to the lakes. Land to build houses for nearly 600 of their families has already been identified, and for now, the residents are living in temporary houses.

The citizens have also played a major role in the revival of the lakes through various clean-up drives, wherein hundreds of people would come together to pick trash from every nook and corner and make their district clean again. People also contributed financially to carry out the activities. Mr. Mahajan along with EFI raised nearly Rs 6 lakh through crowdfunding on the website Keto within a month.

“It is a community-led project where citizens whole-heartedly dedicated their holidays and weekends to clear garbage from various lakes. EFI’s experience in cleanups made the task faster and easier. Our first lake was ready within a month,” he remarked.

Locals participating in the cleanliness drive

THE PROCESS

The first step was to convince people occupying 400 structural encroachments of houses and shops for rehabilitation, which wasn’t as difficult as feared. “Some families were living on the banks for nearly forty years, and it was amazing to see their co-operation and contribution to establish the ecosystem,” stated Mr. Mahajan.

EFI gave full support and even conducted various drives including painting walls with messages of keeping lakes clean. Next, all kinds of garbage including weeds, paper, plastic, and other waste matter were cleared with the help of EFI volunteers, citizens, and district officials through ‘shramdan’ (volunteering).

People offered ‘shramdaan’ during their holidays

The EFI rented the machinery with the crowdfunding money to de-silt tanks and made bunds from them on the borders of the lakes. Once the borders were ready, local volunteering groups were roped in to plant saplings there and beautify the area. And finally, fences were created around the lakes to protect these from future encroachments.

“The impact of the cleanup drive was seen at the onset of monsoon last year when the lakes and ponds were filled with water. A rise in the presence of birds was also recorded,” said Mr. Mahajan.

De-silting tanks and creating bunds

Mr. Mahajan’s efforts have not only revived numerous ponds, lakes, and rivers but have also restored the long lost glory of the district.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand Government Launches Free Pre-Recruitment Training for Agniveer Aspirants Across All Districts
Airports Authority of India AAI
PESB Finds Candidates Unsatisfactory for AAI Member (Operations) Post, Calls for New Selection Process
justice-photo
Next CJI of India: Find Out Who’s Set to Become the New Chief Justice – Full Story Inside
IPS Ratan Lal Dangi
Who Is IPS Ratan Lal Dangi? Chhattisgarh Police Officer Accused of Harassment by SI’s Wife; IG Anand Chhabra Assigned Probe - Full Story
Yogi Adityanath Ayodhya visit in Diwali
UP: CM Yogi Adityanath Orders Fire Stations Every 100 Km on Expressways, Approves 1,020 New Posts in Fire Services
SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma
Who Is SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma? The 2015-Batch RAS Officer Caught in Yet Another Scandal After Slapping Petrol Pump Employee
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
01_10_2025-sanjay_gupta_24067000
Sanjay Gupta: The Steady Hand Guiding Himachal’s Next Chapter
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT