Citizen Movements Reviving India’s Lakes & Rivers

Across India, ordinary people are rising to extraordinary challenges with courage, compassion, and perseverance. Their journeys are not without struggle, yet the causes they champion inspire lasting change.

As part of Optum Presents The Better India Showcase supported by M3M Foundation, we celebrate five remarkable Water Warriors(category sponsor: Bisleri) whose citizen-led movements are safeguarding our most vital resource: water.

From reviving lakes to rejuvenating rivers, their stories prove that true transformation begins at the grassroots — where every effort counts.

1) From floods to lifeline: Citizens save a 50-acre lake

Residents of Chitlapakkam in Chennai proved the power of collective action by reviving their 50-acre lake through the #SavingChitlapakkamLake campaign. Starting in 2017, they petitioned, staged postcard drives, performed street plays, and even formed a human chain. 

After the 2015 floods exposed poor urban planning, the volunteer group ‘Chitlapakkam Rising’ spearheaded restoration efforts with massive cleaning drives in 2019, drawing thousands of residents. Their relentless efforts finally pushed the Tamil Nadu government to sanction Rs 25 crores in 2020.

Using the 4D principle of Deflect, Drain, Desilt, and Deepen, the lake was scientifically restored, transforming a sewage dump into a community lifeline.

2) 5,000 villagers unite to revive a lake after 15 years

In Tiruppur’s Andipalayam village, encroachments had blocked the Noyyal river’s flow, leaving the community water-scarce and the 60-acre lake dry for 15 years. Today, thanks to Kumar Duraisamy and the collective strength of 5,000 villagers, the lake once again brims with water.

With support from the non-profit ‘Voluntary Organisation for People Empowerment for Rural Areas by Youth’ (VETRY), Kumar mobilised locals to clear catchments, remove silt, and deepen the lake.

Every Sunday, thousands joined with buckets and tubs, while donations poured in from citizens and corporations. As a result, water levels rose to 38 feet, recharging groundwater across the region.

3) 15,000 people rally to clean South India’s perennial river

Tamil Nadu’s Thamirabarani River — South India’s only perennial river and vital for irrigation and power — faced severe pollution from sewage, effluents, and dumping.

To save it, a massive cleanup brought together 15,000 people, including 10,000 students from 30 colleges and 20 schools, along with teachers, police, fire service personnel, and government employees.

They cleared the riverbed from Karuppanthurai to Vannarpettai, and volunteers also cleaned 60 kilometres of riverbanks from Pabanasam to Tirunelveli. The campaign turned concern into action, proving how thousands of hands can bring a river back to life.

4) Once a dumping ground, a river in Kerala flows free again

In Kannur, Kerala, 5,000 citizens united under the Haritha Keralam Mission to restore the Kanampuzha River, which was once reduced to a dumping ground. Originating from Ayyappanmala, the river traditionally recharged groundwater and nourished farmlands, but years of garbage dumping and silt had blocked its flow into the sea.

Responding to the state’s call, volunteers cleaned a 10-kilometre stretch from Chelora to Marakkarkandi, removing plastic and waste. A committee was later formed to dedicate one day each month to maintain cleanliness and prevent further dumping.

This was a powerful example of Kerala’s people and administration working in tandem to keep rivers alive.

5) 11,000 volunteers restore lakes and bring birds back

In Coimbatore, R Manikandan, a lathe workshop owner, turned his childhood memory of a dried-up well into a mission to restore waterbodies. What began in 2017 with 50 volunteers at Perur Lake grew into ‘Kovai Kulangal Padhukaapu Amaippu’, a citizen movement backed by more than 11,000 people.

Together, they revived seven lakes, cleared blocked channels, removed tonnes of waste, and even began creating a Miyawaki forest of 16,000 trees near Vellalore Lake. Their efforts not only improved water security but also brought back 75 species of migratory and wetland birds to Coimbatore’s lakes.

These stories remind us that India’s water crisis is not insurmountable. From Chennai to Coimbatore, Tiruppur to Kannur, ordinary citizens have shown that determined communities can bring back rivers, lakes, and even lost biodiversity.

Recognition is just one step — the real impact lies in the movements these Water Warriors continue to lead every day.

Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by M3M Foundation, goes live on 18 September 2025. 

Dive into the inspiring stories, and follow their journey of impact — all in one place. Click here to explore.