lake rejuvenation

Amid India’s growing water crisis, meet five inspiring water warriors who are restoring ponds, building check dams, and bringing clean water to millions. This September, The Better India Showcase 2025 is honouring their impact.

The residents of Chitlapakkam in Chennai restored a 50-acre lake after years of efforts, petitions, & cleaning drives. Their efforts resulted in the state sanctioning Rs 25 crore for the project.

Boson Whitewater has teamed up with Biome Environmental Trust to launch India’s first indirect potable water reuse project in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru. This innovative initiative converts STP-treated water into high-quality drinking water through managed aquifer recharge, enhancing water availability for the local community.

Their zeal to give back coupled with an undying love for their village got these changemakers to come up with a plan to revamp the dying or dead water bodies in their hometowns.

A native of Durgapur, Sumita Banerjee moved to Kolkata a few decades ago. A former school teacher, she found her calling as a green activist when she noticed a blatant disregard for the well-being of Kolkata's second-largest water body, Rabindra Sarovar.

“After the water body completely transformed, we were surprised to notice that 10 to 15 different species of birds had begun to migrate here."

Want to save the dying lakes of #Bengaluru? Dr Shobha Ananda Reddy is the mentor you have been looking for.

Located in the Thanjavur district and spread across 564 acres, the lake was responsible for irrigating 6,000 acres of agricultural land. However, due to constant misuse and exploitation by the soil mafia, it did not hold sufficient water.

Mittal Patel gave up the dream of becoming an IAS officer after she came in contact with the issues including employment, education and health plaguing in Gujarat’s tribal areas.

“We wanted this event to serve as an image of what Bengaluru can do. We had expected around 500 volunteers and it was overwhelming to see the expectations being exceeded by large numbers."