Lake Restoration

Can lakes heal themselves? The answer is yes! Vetiver plants are proving to be a game-changer for lake restoration in India.

Asha S of Karnataka-based NGO Arohana has worked tirelessly for two decades towards water conservation and protection. With her work, households have been able to conserve water, earn more, and revive their agricultural lands.

Today, the 24-year-old is not only ensuring that lakes don’t run dry but is also protecting threatened forests and green belts in Karnataka.

Juggling his job in an MNC, this hardworking farmer’s son utilises his after-work hours and weekends to breathe fresh life into Noida’s lakes. The kind of hero India truly needs!

“One evening, I was busy cutting the bushes when a drunk man attacked me. He wanted me to stop. Next day, I visited the police station, filed a complaint and continued my work. Hurdles like this did not bring my spirits down,” said the inspiring lake ranger. #Respect #RealLifeHero

Even after changing houses and localities, the water situation did not improve, and Kalpana soon realised that the only way to resolve this, at least on a household level, was to start conserving water.

Dhruvansh, an NGO, chose the World Wetland Day to introduce a "floating island" in Neknampur Lake.

Once a deserted swamp with murky water, the lake has now been restored to its full glory with a variety of local and migratory birds, various fish species and reptiles, medicinal plants and fruit-bearing trees gracing its ecosystem.

The IT graduate-turned-green warrior has so far afforested 300-400 hectares of land since he got into the arena a decade ago.

Once the lake is restored, it will provide water to over 50 village communities in the region.