Let there be water: Restoration of Koliyanur lake in Tamil Nadu

New Indian Express

18-05-2025

VILLUPURAM: The dust of decades had settled thick upon the promise of Koliyanur lake, a vital artery choked by neglect and the relentless creep of encroachment. For a generation, its lifeblood had dwindled, a silent tragedy unfolding in the Villupuram district. But from the parched earth, a spark ignited – the Kalaam Volunteer Group.
This unassuming collective of residents dared to dream of reviving it, a vision that would not only reshape their environment but also bind their community in the face of nature's fury. Their story, unfolding over the past year, is a testament to the extraordinary power of ordinary people, a beacon of hope that pierced through the devastation of Cyclone Fengal and resurrected a lost lifeline.
Koliyanur lake, stretching across hundreds of acres, had been encroached upon by 57 farming families in the Koliyanur village area for more than three decades. Once a crucial source of irrigation and drinking water, the lake had slowly shrunk by half due to unregulated occupation and sediment build-up.
Recognising the ecological and communal importance of the loch, the Kalaam Volunteer Group, in collaboration with Exnora International Foundation, NDSO, and M N Gayathri Charities, initiated a restoration project in 2024. 'As a resident of Koliyanur, I've never seen the river with water since I was a child, and it has been a dream to see it flow with water in its natural allure. And that is why I chose to revive it,' said N Manikandan (32), the group's full-time organiser.