EFI – Environmentalist Foundation of India is a wildlife conservation and a habitat restoration organization functioning across more than 9 cities in India, part of habitat restoration EFI has adopted 29 lakes across south India for restoration. The NGO primarily aims to create an environment that is sustainable and a healthy one for our future generations. As a part of the work several lakes are adopted and restored into a full-fledged water body that serves as home for various species of flora and fauna. They are fenced and protected to slowly see many migratory birds visit that area. The latest venture is the Arasankazhani Lake at Sholinganallur, a suburb in Chennai located at the IT corridor.
This
lake is located in the midst of a well-populated area with a number of schools,
colleges, IT parks and tall apartments. Restoring this lake not only helps in
restoring the birds, animals, amphibians and reptiles, it also becomes a good
eco-friendly spot in the city to give our eyes a beautiful glimpse of joy.
So
now, what is done in this adoption?? In the I phase the lake area is cleaned
and cleared from all the plastic garbage and de-silted. This makes the barren
land into a place ready to become a real water body. After this there comes an
innovation from EFI to set-up a G shaped island in the middle of the deepened
lake to ensure water circulation in the lake without reducing the water holding
area. These lakes when spruced up with the saplings and native herbs will be
home to several species and pave way for a biodiversity. This is BIOLOGY in the
Making. History will remind generations how to restore lakes. This island will
safely house a number of pond turtles and shore birds, thereby giving a safe
haven to all these life forms as well. This ends the II phase of work.
Next
starts the III phase where planting of the native species comes in and also
reintroducing the amphibian and reptile species of the area and fill in water.
The last IV stage is the fencing stage in which the lake is fenced and protected
from invaders.
With
permission from the PWD, and with funding support from residents of Perumbakkam
the project is being executed. A restored lake with bio-diversity like, Birds-Amphibians and Reptiles reintroduced, temperature
regulation, ground water stabilization and more. The Arasankazhani Lake restoration is now in its II Phase. A lake that
is ready to be engulfed by a road and more is all set for an ecological
makeover.
Public
participation is being encouraged to ensure that this restoration becomes a
people’s movement to conserve environment.
