Nimal Raghavan has dedicated his life to the betterment of his beloved homeland. He was working in Dubai he had come home for a vacation from Dubai, and he arrived just in time to witness the devastation that cyclone Gaja would leave in its wake.

After Cyclone Gaja devastated the Cauvery delta in December 2018, 31-year-old R Nimal Raghavan of Nadiyam decided to leave his job and started working for the welfare of the farmers. He and his team began discussions in villages surrounding Thanjavur and Pudukottai on reversing the damage.

After this, Nimal has spent the last 3 years coming up with new ways to improve existing conditions for farmers and the ecosystem of the surrounding villages by reviving lakes, etc, the work that started in Tanjore now spread all across Tamilnadu.

Nimal and his team members have recently been hitting headlines in South Indian newspapers for successfully restoring 118 water bodies, which involved thousands of volunteers across all age groups and other like-minded organizations.

But Nimal says, "The real work has just begun, the real work starts from protecting whatever we have restored." He feels it’s always necessary to improve the green cover around the lake to sustain the initiative.

They are now aiming to plant 1 lakh saplings and vetiver along the lake boundaries and on the lake islands that they have created within the lakes.

While restoring water bodies, Nimal and his team get excessive silt, i.e., sand-rich in nutrients. The silt is used to strengthen the lake boundaries and to form small lake islands in between the lakes.

He needs 1 lakh saplings and vetiver to keep along the border and on the lake islands.
Nimal is planning to use 80-90 different varieties of native species of saplings and vetiver along the lake boundaries and on the island. Vetiver and tree saplings help prevent soil erosion. Their roots, being fibrous, will act as a natural rainwater harvester. Also, more saplings mean more shade in the future. These saplings will attract bees and birds to the lake, which improves green cover and many new lives. The lake soil naturally has more nutrients, so saplings will have tremendous growth and have the ability to form a dense forest in the near future.

Lake beneficiaries who benefit from lakes are used to maintain the lake, ensuring 100% maintenance of the lake, lake boundaries, and islands.

Each and every sapling’s growth will be documented. Regular monthly updates would be given to all involved in the project.

Nimal and his team have already done this in a few of the lakes they restored.
With your help, Nimal and his team will be able to plant 1 lakh saplings in the lakes they have restored, which has the potential to impact generations to come.

To know more about Nimal's work follow the #bouncebackdelta handle on FB, LinkedIn & Twitter.

Know more about Nimal here https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2021/dec/27/104-not-out-2399977.amp

https://www.thebetterindia.com/200338/cyclone-gaja-lake-revival-techniques-hero-water-scarcity-karnataka/

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/how-one-mans-vision-is-changing-farming-practices-in-tns-delta-region/article36481570.ece