COIMBATORE: R Manikandan, a city-based environmental activist, is among the 36 selected across the country by ministry of Jal Shakthi to receive the Water Warrior award.
He will receive the award from Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat later this month.
Manikandan (39) along with 100 volunteers of Kovai Kulangal Padhukappu Amaippu desilted lakes, ponds and removed plastic waste and Seemaikaruvelam trees. These initiatives helped filling of water in the lakes and as well as improving ground water level.
Manikandan formed the Kovai Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu on February 5, 2017. “Our organization has grown by many folds in the last five years. Our volunteers are from all walks of life -techies, drivers, students and housewives. Our first initiative was clearing Seemai Karuvelam trees at Perur Periyakulam for which we spent `10 lakh,” said Manikandan.
The team’s major achievements include desilting 21.5 km of inlet points of Vellalore Rajavaikal, Kuniyamuthur canal and Kattampatti lake (Annur) channel. As a result, 3 lakes the Vellalore Lake (85.9 acres), Perur Big Tank (265 acres), Kattampatty Lake (160 acres) are filled after 15 years.
“We also desilted five ponds at Vellachi kuttai in Kuppanur, Mahaliamman kovil Kuttai at Sennanur, Kadaikaran Kuttai at Devarapuram, Odakarai kuttai at Narasipuram and Oorkuttai at Malucmichampatti. This helped these ponds store 4 crore litres of rainwater. As many as 10,000 native tree saplings, herbal plants, flowering plants, that attracts birds and butterflies under Miyawaki method at Vellalore lake,” he said. Also, his team has planted 1,67,000 palm seeds so far near water bodies and forests in Coimbatore.