Located in the district of Chengalpet, a barren land within the campus of the Medical College was used for nothing but as grounds for possible social activities and more. The land covered with invasive weeds such as Prosopis juliflora, and Ipomoea carnea would probably just have small puddles of water here and there when it poured in this region. The very buildings surrounding this land would produce sewage, with no means to treat it.

In collaboration with the District Collectorate, the College authorities, and funding support from CAMS, this barren land was identified and was proposed to be converted into becoming a storage tank that could capture rainwater, and also provide means to treat the greywater produced in the campus.

The land was first cleared off its invasive weeds that had grown rampant in this area. The land was then desilted to excavate excess silt deposits that was scattered across the to-be lake area, and thereby the region was also deepened.

The excavated silt was then used to establish a bund system for the lake that it had lacked. This also helps in storage of water and improves the flood resilience of the lake.

To treat the greywater in the campus, specialized inlet channels were established, and sedimentary pits were constructed to let the toxic substances settle down, thereby ensuring clean water enters the storage area of the lake.

Nesting islands were also constructed at this lake to enhance biodiversity by means of providing a habitat for local fauna to nest, forage, and hunt.

A collection pond was also established to capture rainwater and direct it to the lake. Today this is how the lake looks!

We thank all those who supported us in establishing this water body! Check out the lake’s before and after images to understand the impact!

Volunteer for India and her Environment with E.F.I, Jai Hind