Environmental NGO revives over 200 waterbodies in central districts

Officials planting saplings on the banks of the Vallanadu Kanmai, a water body covering 1,500 acres in Pudukottai district, that was restored recently by KAIFA.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Kadaimadai Area Integrated Farmers Association (KAIFA), a non-governmental organisation founded in 2019 by young professionals in Pattukottai to revive the village waterbodies devastated by Cyclone Gaja in the Cauvery delta, will soon be completing its 300th project.

“It is a milestone that none of us expected to achieve, because we had thought that our work would end with the revival of the Peravurani Periyakulam lake. Our method of encouraging local participation, transparent funding, and scientific de-silting has inspired many villages to use our services,” KAIFA president Karthikeyan Velsamy told The Hindu.

KAIFA is supported by retired agriculture officers and veteran farmers, and has a 11-member team from diverse backgrounds to run the daily operations. The encroachment of waterbodies for farming, construction, and even dumping of trash, has affected the livelihoods of rural families.

“We can see that the dearth of water can displace rural populations with the youth migrating to the cities in search of work. Once waterbodies are brought back into the picture, the farmers regain their confidence,” said Balathandayuthapani, KAIFA national secretary, who terms youth volunteers as the backbone of the NGO’s success.

Each project typically involves the identification of the inlet and outlet channels of the waterbody; fortification of the lake’s banks with the excavated mud and tree planting. Depending on the size of the waterbody, the clean-up could cost anywhere between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh.

The earth-moving equipment is sponsored by Namakkal-based dairy major Milky Mist.

“In every clean-up, we request each of the families to contribute towards the fuel for the earth-moving equipment. We involve students and youths in the village to volunteer with the physical cleaning. A daily log book and village-specific WhatsApp group helps us monitor the expenses. Everyone is personally invested in maintaining the revived lake,” said Mr. Karthikeyan.

Noticing the emotional hold that waterbodies have on village residents, the KAIFA team begins and concludes each clean-up programme in a celebratory manner with formal invitations and prayer ceremonies.

At present, KAIFA operates in at least 10 districts, including Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Dindigul, and Pudukottai and is hoping to spread its wings across India with a target of 1,000 waterbodies.