Nimal Raghavan, a resident of Nadiam village of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, had a satisfactory job in Dubai. His father worked as a farmer in the village to sustain his family. During a visit home, he witnessed the aftermath of the Gaja Cyclone in November 2018. Due to the cyclone, the families had to vacate their homes to relocate to safer places. 

Enduring challenges

After the widespread evacuation, the families looked for employment opportunities elsewhere. Everyone left the village during the crises. Nimal Raghavan contemplated the whole situation and decided to address the challenges himself. The very next morning, he embarked on his journey of transforming the village. 

Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu

Thanjavur is renowned as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. The villages faced mass destruction after the wrath of the cyclone. Nimal, dedicated to bringing in a change, began working for 90 cyclone-affected villages. During his journey, he learned about the issue of water scarcity in agricultural villages. In 2017, he read reports that Thanjavur wasted 110 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water, a staggering amount that could fulfil the water requirements in cities like Chennai and Bangalore for an entire year. 

Water crisis

The water crisis was a major concern for the local farmers of Thanjavur. 110 TMC of water was wasted due to the lack of river and canal maintenance. Nimal understood the situation and realized that water could be conserved by restoring these waterways. He faced several challenges in the beginnings as he needed to take the government’s permission at every step. However, the entire process helped him gain valuable insights into the project execution. 

Reviving lakes

The Peravurani Lake had been declared a dead river until Nimal Raghavan took some steps to revitalize it. After 107 days of consistent efforts, the 564-acre lake was successfully replenished. This also significantly improved the ground water levels. In just under six months, his efforts brought relief to the local farmers. Previously, due to the water crisis, the farmers could not even yield good crops once a year, and after Nimal’s efforts they were able to cultivate two or three crops annually. 

Mega Foundations

Since then, Nimal Raghavan has remained steadfast in his commitment of revitalizing water resources. To date, he has worked on water conservation projects across 10 Indian states, including 21 districts of Tamil Nadu. Remarkably, he has also worked in Africa and Sri Lanka. As part of the initiative, 20 lakh saplings have also been planted across the country. Nimal Raghavan also established a startup called the ‘Mega Foundations,’ dedicated to promoting organic farming and preserving indigenous seeds. His efforts have been honoured with the Jal Prahari Award by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.