Located in the Northwestern region of the Halwa Town, the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University is an educational institution with hidden gems in it. No, we are not referring to their bright, aspiring students! Two water bodies in the campus that have the capacity to store water for generations to come was found to be abandoned and ignored.

E.F.I with support from the Tirunelveli District Administration and the MS University took on the task of restoring the 2 ponds and revive it back to its natural glory!

Pond 1

A small pond with an area of 0.48 acres was found to be covered with overgrown weeds that had grown rampant over the years and uneven contour, making it unfit to store water.

The invasive weeds along the boundary were removed with the help of machinery for a length of approximately 200 meters.

The pond was then desilted to a depth of 2-3 feet, and the excavated silt was then used to create embankments for the pond.

A baby pond was created to act as a recharge pit that would help store water even in the harshest summers.

Native saplings were planted along the boundary of the pond to enhance its biodiversity.

Pond 2:

This 1.13 acre large pond when taken up for restoration was found to have a sewage inflow, contaminating the water in the pond. Excess siltation was found across the pond, giving it an uneven contour. Bunds of the pond were weak and damaged. The inlet and outlet points of the pond were also found to be damaged.

The pond was first cleared off its invasive weeds following which it was desilted to an average depth of 3 feet.

The excess silt was then used to strengthen the embankments and create trenches and recharge well to improve the hydrology of the pond.

The outlet point of the pond (weir) was repaired to ensure proper flow of water.

Native saplings were planted with the students of the institution to enhance the biodiversity of the pond.

E.F.I thanks our partners, volunteers, students and well-wishers for strengthening our efforts.