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Wetland Restoration

Wetland Restoration

Veinthankulam is a wetland situated in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu and it is of crucial importance in flood regulation and mitigation for the Tirunelveli town. Eco-restoration of Veinthankulam was launched on 31st July 2021 by Thiru Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Department of Industries, as part of the District Administration’s Nellai Neer Valam initiative
The restoration activities included a comprehensive topographic survey, removal of invasive alien species from the water spread area, dredging and desilting of earth, formation and strengthening of a bund and bioremediation of the water. This is an increase of capacity by approximately 1.5 mcft. The impact of this restoration was evident during the heavy rains at the end of 2021, when there was no waterlogging in the area. In addition, Veinthankulam reached Full Tank Level (FTL) and the surplus weir overflowed for the first time since 1992. A public space has been developed with the aim of increasing wetland literacy
The Eco-restoration of Veinthankulam has received the first runner-up prize in the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) CSR Awards 2023. 

Madambakkam sitteri, located in the southern part of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is situated within the Kovalam minor basin. The area has been grappling with challenges such as sewage pollution and garbage dumping around its periphery The restoration efforts included a comprehensive topographic survey, the removal of invasive alien species from the water spread area, dredging and desilting of the soil, the construction and reinforcement of a bund, bioremediation of the water, and the planting of trees. Additionally, a socio-economic survey was conducted to gather important data. On February 8th, a wetland cleanup was organised in Madambakkam, with enthusiastic participation from local residents, ward members, members of the Rotary Club association, and the 5th zone chairman, Tambaram Corporation
The Vengambakkam Tank, situated 400 meters southwest of Vengambakkam village, is facing several challenges in its current state. The bund, measuring 1215 meters in length, is in poor condition with numerous areas not meeting the required standards. It is also heavily infested with the invasive species Prosopis juliflora The Eco-restoration of Vengambakkam is currently underway and various restoration activities are being carried out to address the issues faced by the tank. These include the removal of invasive alien species from the water spread area, dredging and desilting of the soil, construction, and reinforcement of the bund, and bioremediation of the water. Through these efforts, the aim is to restore the ecological balance and enhance the overall health of the Vengambakkam Tank The biodiversity of the Vengambakkam lake has been studied with the method of rapid assessment. Vengambakkam lake is located closer to the reserve forests of Unamancheri and also shares a boundary with another wetland called Nedungundram. The survey yielded 199 species of Angiosperms belonging to 155 genera and 58 families
The Unamancheri wetland restoration project aims to restore the water-holding capacity and biodiversity of the 72-acre Unamancheri wetland In this ongoing project, a baseline survey was conducted, including landscape mapping, topography survey, pollution monitoring, biodiversity assessments, and agro-socio-economic surveys. The biodiversity assessment revealed 220 floral species, 49 bird species, and 14 butterfly species, including near-threatened birds such as the Oriental darter, White ibis, and Open billed stork. The agro-socio-economic Survey provided insights into local agricultural practices and community conditions, guiding project planning and implementation. Community engagement and outreach as part of the project has been conducted with the support of Natwest India employees engaging in volunteering activities
The Puduthangal Lake is a deep water pond under the jurisdiction of the Tambaram Municipality. The lake now surrounded by a predominantly residential neighbourhood. Care Earth was involved in a project that looked at the hydrological, ecological and social dimensions necessary for reviving the Puduthangal Lake. The waterbody was cleared of invasive species, and dredged of accumulated silt. The project which was initiated in July 2019 resulted in an increase in total holding capacity of the lake, 3.72 mcft. as on December 2019
Thazhambur wetland located along the East Coastal belt of Chennai is spread across an area of 30.6 hectares. Care Earth Trust has been instrumental in restoring the waterbody, along with building a local constituency to ensure sustainability of the project Restoration efforts have resulted in the total recovery and restoration of 30.6 ha of water spread area, consolidation of 1200 meters of bunds and restoration of 1200 metres of canals leading in and out of the wetland. Wetland holding capacity now stands increased by 5.6 million cft of water over the existing capacity 16.46 million cft
The Odai Keni kulam restoration in Sholinganallur was taken up by Care Earth as part of the Greater Chennai Corporation’s initiative to revive water bodies and rejuvenate their ecosystem services under the state government’s Sustainable Water Security Mission. Topographical surveys and field studies were conducted to demarcate boundaries and also understand the morphometric details of the lake. Invasive hyacinth was removed from the waterbody and accumulated silt was removed to improve water holding capacity

Care Earth Trust has helped restore and conserve the Puducherry Keni kulam in Sholinganallur in an environmentally sustainable manner. This was part of the Greater Chennai Corporation’s initiative to revive water bodies and rejuvenate their ecosystem services under the state government’s Sustainable Water Security Mission. Work commenced in July, 2018 and as part of the restoration invasive water hyacinth was removed and the lake was desilted. Post this, the bund was strengthened all around the pond.

The Sembakkam Lake, part of the cascading system that drains into the Pallikaranai marshland, is being restored in a research based and scientific manner with the support of the Public Works Department (PWD), Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department (TNFD). Restoration activities which look to introduce an element of sustainability and community participation include cleaning of the lake, water monitoring, removal of invasive species and strengthening of the bund among others The area is marked by a profusion of built-up concrete spaces. The socio-economic study conducted prior to project implementation revealed that the waterbody is much appreciated by residents where they agree that the lake is capable of multiple uses–both direct and indirect–attributing many environmental positives such as groundwater recharge, flood control and micro-climate management to its existence
The restoration of the Perungalathur wetland was a research based and scientific one with the support of the Public Works Department (PWD), Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department (TNFD). It also included the introduction of an element of sustainability and community participation. Biodiversity assessments were conducted and baseline maps of drainage, land use and land cover were prepared. Restoration activities included cleaning of the lake, water level and quality monitoring, strengthening of the bund, removal of invasive species and populating the bund with appropriate plantation

The Narayanapuram wetland is among the several tanks in a chain that cascade down into the Pallikaranai marsh in South Chennai. Before the intervention, one fifth of the waterbody was encroached upon and over 60 percent of the existing waterspread was overrun by invasive water hyacinth. As part of the rejuvenation efforts, silt removal and bund strengthening activities were carried out and the waterbody was cleared off invasive flora

The Vengathur freshwater wetland restoration project aims to restore the water-holding capacity and biodiversity of the 360 acres of Vengathur wetland. The project has been initiated in September 2023 with the support from NatWest Digital Services India Private Limited
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