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
RCB Parade Stampede
RCB Victory Stampede: Suspended IPS Dayananda Deposes, Inquiry Report Expected Soon; Public Urged to Submit Evidence
ONGC_resized
ONGC Successfully Caps Rudrasagar Gas Well Blowout After 15 Days of Intensive Effort, Global Experts End Crisis
406951-supreme-court-of-india-sc
Limited Manpower: SC Stays MP High Court Order Mandating SP-Led Supervision of Serious Crime Probes, Asks State to Submit SOP
Anurag Gupta Jharkhand
DGP Tenure Row: Jharkhand AG Issues Provisional Pay Slip to DGP Anurag Gupta Amid Tenure Extension Row
BEML Golden Peacock Award
BEML Wins Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award 2025 for India’s First All-Electric Mining Shovel - Details Inside
Rajasthan Government
Top Bureaucrats Shifted to Energy Sector as Govt Focuses on Implementing ₹28 Lakh Crore MoUs from Rising Rajasthan
India Russia S400
India Pushes Defence Modernisation: Russia Assures India of Full S-400 Delivery by 2027; Su-30 Upgrades, Project Kusha Also Discussed
Qingdao Meet
Rajnath Singh and Admiral Dong Jun Meet on SCO Sidelines to Push for Permanent Border Peace
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
RCB Parade Stampede
RCB Victory Stampede: Suspended IPS Dayananda Deposes, Inquiry Report Expected Soon; Public Urged to Submit Evidence
ONGC_resized
ONGC Successfully Caps Rudrasagar Gas Well Blowout After 15 Days of Intensive Effort, Global Experts End Crisis
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT