Veargal roots for Moolikulam

Born out of sheer will of five youth to preserve waterbodies, a Tiruppur-based NGO rejuvenates a 26-acre pond with the district administration's support

- P SRINIVASAN @ Tiruppur

Veargal is now a family of 1,000 members keen on the goal to preserve rivers

(EXPRESS)

FOR years, 'Moolikulam' - a 26-acre pond in Tiruppur - was left forsaken, drained of life. Nothing green, let alone blue, filled its courses. As the odour of sewage engulfed its surroundings, hyacinths made its way to invade the territory. Though the dying pond stood forgotten by time, 'Veargal' decided to rewrite its routes and restore the ecosystem. It took time, but in due course, the waterbody got a chance to heal and breathe again.

An NGO headquartered in Tiruppur, 'Veargal' (roots) recently made headlines as it bagged the Chief Minister's Water Body Conservator Award 2025 for Tiruppur district for its sustained efforts in restoring Moolikulam. Born out of the sheer passion of five college students in 2010, this organisation has now grown into a family of around 1,000 members, keen on their goal to preserve waterbodies.

"Initially, we engaged ourselves in small tasks like planting saplings. In 2012, I graduated from college and joined an IT company in Chennai, but continued the NGO works on weekends. Due to lack of job satisfaction, I left my job in 2015 and came back to Tiruppur. That's when I realised the poor state of Moolikulam, a pond in my area, and decided to reclaim it through Veargal," said TR Sandeep (34), one of the founders and coordinators of the organisation.