EcoGuardians: This Man Left a Job at Google for Environmental Conservation! Here’s His Journey | The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather…

Arun Krishnamurthy, Founder, Environmentalist Foundation of India

Amid exponentially growing urbanisation, lakeslike many other natural habitatshave been either vanishing or severely deteriorating. The reasons are plenty, but the fact remainslakes and ponds often bear the brunt of modern-day human negligence.

Lakes perform some of the most crucial ecosystem servicesfrom regulating the flow of a river to recharging groundwater. Therefore, there is a dire need to restore these valuable freshwater bodies, especially in urban centres across India. With World Environment Day 2021whose theme is Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.on June 5, the UN Decade of Ecosystems Restoration will be kick-started.

Over the past few decades, many people and organisations have been striving to revive and restore the lost ecosystems across India. Today, we highlight the incredible work of one such organisationthe Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI). For years now, EFI has been at the forefront of restoring various lakes and ponds in more than 14 states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu.

Besides, this not for profit trust is also actively imparting awareness about the need for conserving natural habitats across the length and breadth of India.

Arun Krishnamurthy, the founder of EFI, left a lucrative corporate job to pursue his dream of environmental conservation. Recognising his incredible work in restoration, he has been bestowed with the prestigious Jane Goodall Institute Global Youth Leadership Award in 2010.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, we caught up with Arun Krishnamurthy, to know more about the restoration work undertaken by his foundation.

Before establishing the Environmentalist Foundation of India, you worked at Google in Hyderabad. What motivated you to take up environmental conservation?

I had quit my corporate career not because I didnt like what I was doing, but did so because I liked working for the environment even more. One of my managers once told me, Even without you, Google can function. But will the dream of your EFI function without you?"

I was fascinated by water bodies culture and a civilisation that has a different story to tell and I consider them as a magical element of the environment. For me, water is a habitat that hosts life for one frog, that one tree sapling, or that rainfall, which fills up that entire lakeit feeds lives with so many memories and further conserves several other water bodies in the way forward.

Once you decided to champion the environmental cause, what was the most daunting challenge that you faced?

One man or one organisation can not resolve the current environmental crisis. It has to be a collaborative, result-oriented effort amidst stakeholders panning across the administration, the industry and the civic society. Achieving this collaboration is easier said than done. A dynamic setup such as India requires a tad bit more effort in coagulating such a striking force. This has been an interesting yet achievable challenge for us at EFI.

What was your primary aim with establishing EFI?

No human would be a mute spectator to destruction. The scale of reaction varies based on external and internal factors. An appropriate catalyst can tilt the balance of this reaction in favour of preventing or repairing that destruction. This is what our history tells us!

On those lines, EFI is a humble efforta social platform for nature enthusiasts who wish to be that someone for Indias environment. We have always wanted to be that catalyst to trigger that favourable reaction towards our planet from fellow citizens.

You, along with EFI, have done significant work towards the restoration of lakes. Why lakes and how do you go about it?

Madambakkam Lake in Southern Chennai.

From dumping of solid-liquid waste, construction debris to encroaching lake water holding areas for construction is some of the major exploitations have led to the destruction of several such ecosystems across India. We would continue to face water shortage and also be victims of urban flooding. Loss of biodiversity is all part of declining lake systems.

It varies from lake to lakea few common pointers include cleaning the lake of all trash, clearing the invasive weeds, deepening the water body to increase storage capacity based on its soil condition, strengthening the embankments, and regulating the inflow-outflow regions are part of the restoration plan.

With time, do you feel the awareness about environmental issues is gaining momentum? How can we accelerate it?

In the recent past, talks about environmental issues have been gaining momentum. But it is not at a level where it needs to be. We need to start talking about our lakes and ponds more; we need to ensure our waste does not reach our neighbourhood lake. We should definitely participate in volunteering efforts in our neighbourhood lakes and ponds to maintain them. This should be definitely under the supervision of people with the know-how.

The world is in a situation where we are equipped with ample resources, scientific research, and technological interventions that can help us restore ecosystems. But on the other hand, there are still myriad factors that continue to degrade our ecosystems. How do you navigate this dichotomy and create positive change?

Every human finds a representation of the world in oneself. There cannot be a template model of lifestyle for the wider population. As an explorer in its quest and search, the human race understood the nuances of balance long ago, and thereby, did not exploit them further. A sustained behaviour of this pattern led to the evolution of cultures across the planet.

Culture is meant to be the disciplinary guiding force for sustainable living and harmonious coexistence. It delivered results until the power-hungry individuals started using cultural practices for their authoritative agenda.

This led to a collapse of belief, discipline and thus the chaos we are in today. Local solutions for global problems are the key to a greener tomorrow. All of humanity is one, indigenous cultures of the land is what makes us unique. A combination of knowledge from the past experiences from the present, and thought about the future would help us take on the present-day environmental challenges.

What has been the most standout moment in your journey towards environment conservation?

Volunteers take part in the restoration work.

The love and affection that volunteers share amongst each other are truly motivational. We come together as strangers but leave as a family. Those moments are truly magical!

On the occasion of World Environment Day, what is your message to our readers?

Community participation is critical to a sustainable future. The planet needs no saving, its the human race that needs to wake up to the real-time threat of climate change and volunteer towards combating the same. Overcoming the consumerist attitude is vital to ensure the survival of the human in every being.

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