Grundfos India, a global leader in pump solutions and water technology, announced the successful completion of the restoration of a mid-sized waterbody, the Annaikeni Pond in Sholinganallur, Chennai.
Grundfos India partnered with Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) to restore the Annaikeni Pond. While this pond was built to be one of the sources of water for people residing in the area and contributed to maintaining the water table, over the years it was neglected and eventually became a breeding ground for mosquitos and even turned into a garbage dump yard.
The restoration work included the excavation of the water holding area to increase the capacity by 18 – 20%, the strengthening of the circumference embankment, fencing and the planting of native plant species around the pond. As part of the restoration efforts, the entire lake was cleared of the garbage and more than four tonnes of water hyacinth and Prosopis Juliflora shrubs (weeds).
The pond, which is under the jurisdiction of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is estimated to cater to the needs of around 8,000 to 10,000 individuals directly and indirectly within the vicinity of a one-kilometre radius. This cleaned water pond will now be able to reduce and prevent any waterborne diseases and ensure the rejuvenation of the ground water levels in the area.
Saravanan Panneer Selvam, General Manager, INDO Region, Grundfos, said, “Grundfos is committed towards promoting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Water and Sanitation). Water bodies play a key role in maintaining and ensuring a good ecosystem not only for humans but also for the flora and fauna. We at Grundfos India are therefore focusing some of our CSR efforts on restoring water bodies in Chennai. Through this restoration of the Annaikeni pond, we hope the ground water level and its quality in the locality improves and that the community can enjoy the presence of a clean water body that will help nature thrive.”
Arun Krishnamurthy, Founder, Environmentalist Foundation India, said, “We are currently faced with an immense challenge of bringing Chennai’s water bodies back to life again. This project is a tri-party collaboration between the Greater Chennai Corporation as the Administrative Partner, Grundfos India as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner and executed by EFI. This project is part of the larger Chennai water mission project taken up by the GCC. This collaboration for a water-positive Chennai has taught us several lessons in water conservation. At EFI we took a scientific approach towards restoring this lake and also worked closely with all the involved stakeholders, the authorities, Grundfos India and the local residents. We are proud to say that the Annaikeni Pond will now be able to contribute towards providing support for ground water recharge, soil formation, biodiversity and efficient flood protection.”
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