CSR Foundation revives Wellington Eco Park’s Hannikallu Marsh in collaboration with Indian Army

Mumbai, India: In a significant move aimed at promoting water rejuvenation, the Hinduja Foundation (HF), the philanthropic arm of the 110-year-old Hinduja Group, has restored Hannikallu Marsh, a fragile wetland habitat as a freshwater marsh located in Wellington, Coonor. Spread over more than 12 acres, the project was carried out in collaboration with the Indian Army through the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC), one of India’s oldest military regiment and Station HQ at Wellington under the Foundation’s flagship CSR program, Jal Jeevan.

The restored Eco Park was inaugurated by Mr. Paul Abraham, President of the Hinduja Foundation, and Brigadier SK Yadav, Commandant of the MRC at a solemn event.

Hannikallu Marsh holds high conservation value. For the past many years, the wetland has been under stress from historical manipulation and human interference by way of garbage dumping, encroachment, and sewage disposal. Post-restoration, the entire system now receives water, recharged shallow and deep groundwater aquifers, and discharges some amount, resulting in low evaporation losses, benefiting 25K+ residents.

Extensive restoration efforts, requiring meticulous planning, were undertaken to ensure its success. A biodiversity assessment was carried out by the project NGO partner, Care Earth Trust which identified and removed invasive alien plant species severely impacting the wetland from 33,167 sq m. The area was later restored by seeding healthy vegetation and creating islands for wildlife.

Under this initiative, ten mountain springs feeding fresh water to Hannikallu Marsh were restored. A 1.5 km-long peripheral walkers’ path was created upstream of the road. 2,000 cubic meters of earth was dredged, and a check dam was constructed. This restoration was funded by Ashok Leyland, Hinduja Group’s flagship company.

Commenting on this initiative, Paul Abraham, President, Hinduja Foundation said, “Water crisis is soon becoming a reality across India. If government reports are to go by at least 40% of India’s 1.3 billion population will have no reliable access to drinking water by 2030. To save Every Drop, Water Stewardship is the Hinduja Foundation’s flagship cause.’’

Brigadier SK Yadav, Commandant of the Madras Regimental Centre said, “This project is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mission Amrit Sarovar to restore 75 water bodies in each district. The eco-park, you see today stands on what was once a natural watershed with perennial streams, historically significant as a water point since the British era. Over time, it had deteriorated into a wasteland. Hinduja Foundation volunteered and through collaborative efforts, including the invaluable support of other stakeholders, we have transformed this area into a thriving eco-park, symbolizing a commitment to rejuvenating our natural resources.”

Under its CSR flagship Jal Jeevan program, the Hinduja Foundation has impacted over 4 million lives across 1110 villages pan India in the past 5 years. Among the many water conservation initiatives, the Foundation enabled recharging of groundwater equivalent to over 3.8 million water tankers and providing safe drinking water equating to 31 million jerry cans.

HF jointly with group companies has restored numerous water bodies including 56 lakes across the country. These restoration projects include heritage stepwells like Makarba Tank in Ahmedabad, Navalakha Bawri in Jodhpur, Rani Moosi Sagar in Alwar Rajasthan, and the Hauz Shamshi in ND.