TIRUPPUR: For years, ‘Moolikulam’ — a 26-acre pond in Tiruppur — was left forsaken, drained of life. Nothing green, let alone blue, filled its courses. As the odour of sewage engulfed its surroundings, hyacinths made its way to invade the territory. Though the dying pond stood forgotten by time, ‘Veargal’ decided to rewrite its routes and restore the ecosystem. It took time, but in due course, the waterbody got a chance to heal and breathe again.
An NGO headquartered in Tiruppur, ‘Veargal’ (roots) recently made headlines as it bagged the Chief Minister’s Water Body Conservator Award 2025 for Tiruppur district for its sustained efforts in restoring Moolikulam. Born out of the sheer passion of five college students in 2010, this organisation has now grown into a family of around 1,000 members, keen on their goal to preserve waterbodies.
“Initially, we engaged ourselves in small tasks like planting saplings. In 2012, I graduated from college and joined an IT company in Chennai, but continued the NGO works on weekends. Due to lack of job satisfaction, I left my job in 2015 and came back to Tiruppur. That’s when I realised the poor state of Moolikulam, a pond in my area, and decided to reclaim it through Veargal,” said TR Sandeep (34), one of the founders and coordinators of the organisation.
The efforts to rejuvenate the pond, which had gone completely dry, began in 2016. With data sourced from the revenue department and PWD’s assistance, Sandeep and team traced the pathway of the canal that carried water from Noyyal river into the pond. “We learned that during rainy season, floodwaters from Noyyal were diverted from a check dam into the supply canal, which eventually fed the pond. However, while visiting the dam, to our shock, we found the canal area fully encroached by local people, and filled with sewage and debris. We prepared detailed reports and tried explaining the situation to the people. Though they were initially reluctant to agree, persistent efforts eventually paid off,” he added.
What followed was nearly two months of hard work, using Hitachi machines, to clear the debris. One major challenge was the drainage water from a nearby urban area which was illegally diverted into the PWD supply canal. While the land was dry, clearing was manageable, but once water flowed, working with machinery became very difficult. “Despite struggles, we succeeded in restoring waterflow into the pond. Every year, we spent Rs 5 lakh to maintain the canals and pond. Fortunately, in 2018, the government announced a scheme to convert supply canals into concrete ones. Out of 2.5km, about 500m was concreted, which has helped us a lot,” Sandeep said.
The second major task in hand was to halt the urban area from diverting its sewage drains directly into the pond. “We worked with the corporation and, in 2022, a plan was prepared to divert all sewage lines into a single route, preventing entry into the pond. In 2025, the corporation released a tender for a drainage diversion project, constructing a large drainage structure to carry sewage directly into the river. The project is currently 70% complete,” Sandeep said.
Amidst all their efforts, the spread of water hyacinth continues to be a major trial. Though the Environmental Foundation of India in Chennai helped the NGO remove the weeds using floating Hitachi machines in 2020, permanent solutions are still out of reach. “We desilted the pond in 2023 and strengthened the northern side bunds with the desilted sand,” Sandeep said, adding that Tiruppur Exporters’ Association, Konganar Trust and Gates Wears, Tiruppur, are their major sponsors.
Apart from environmental conservation efforts, Veargal in collaboration with other voluntary organisations provides advice to waterbody conservators. Plans are in the offing to restore a pond in Avinashi as well. S Sathish, another coordinator of Veargal, said, “We actively supported the people and government during natural calamities. We visited the Kaja cyclone-affected areas, flood-hit areas in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, and distributed food and clothing to the people. During the Chennai flood, we donated one tonne rice to the Tiruppur administration. With the help of fellow NGOs, we set up temporary oxygen facilities in Tiruppur Medical College Hospital.”
Committed to environmental protection, Veargal further conducts plantation drives in Tiruppur and Erode. “One such drive in Moolikulam pond in 2016 was 90% successful, creating a green environment for both the birds and local community. We also collaborate with Vanathukkul Tiruppur Organisation to promote ecological balance in the society,” S Suresh Kumar, another coordinator of Veargal, pointed out.
(Edited by Arya AJ)
