Green ripple effect

Led by Vanitha Mohan, Siruthuli mobilises citizens to restore lakes, and rebuild Kovai's lost green cover

- S SENTHIL KUMAR @Coimbatore

WHIRRS of heavy machinery and smokestacks have concreted Coimbatore's identity as an industrial titan. Celebrated for a progressive entrepreneurial spirit, its contributions to a bustling economy and affinity for a slow-paced life are a tale known to many. Yet, the environmental toll of this rapidly urbanising industrial centre has become an undeniable weight.

Luckily, for Vanitha Mohan, the measure of growth is not lost in the ledgers. Instead, it lies in the ripples of a restored lake and the soft rustle of a nurtured forest. A renowned septuagenarian activist in Coimbatore, she has spent her life reclaiming what the city's nature looks like. Alongside a growing army of conscious citizens, she has spent decades healing the earth, reviving groundwater, and planting the seeds of conservation in the hearts of the next generation.

Siruthuli Trust, an initiative led by Vanitha Mohan, has planted over 10 lakh trees across 499 acres of public and private land over the past 23 years. Under her leadership, restoration drives have helped conserve over 23 billion litres of water. They have restored 25 check dams, nine feeder canals, 51 ponds, 25 lakes and 1,000 rainwater harvesting structures (RWHS). Presently, to improve groundwater availability, Siruthuli, with support from the district administration, is engaged in desilting three anicuts Kilchithirai Chavadi, Pudukkadu and Masaorambu at different parts of the district. Once desilting is complete, the groundwater will benefit more than 1,000 farmers.