Local communities and smart technology are helping restore Pulicat Lake in Chennai. A significant ecological drive was given a much-needed boost along the coast of Chennai on World Environment Day. Mitsubishi Electric India has officially extended its partnership with Earthwatch Institute India to strengthen its current water conservation and climate resilience initiatives. It is a dedicated Corporate Social Responsibility programme which will be concentrating its efforts on the delicate ecosystem of Pulicat Lake and its neighbouring fishing villages in its second year. The project is demonstrating the potential of grassroots community intervention and cutting-edge environmental monitoring technologies, and is combining both to reinforce the ability of vulnerable coastal communities to defend their homes against the growing danger of climate change.

To mark this year's achievement, a hands-on volunteering activity was organised for corporate employees at the mudflats of Pulicat Lake in Kattur village. The teams worked in collaboration with the local lake stewards, women's Self-Help Groups and traditional fishers to plant hundreds of new mangrove saplings along the lakeshore. The day provided the volunteers with a hands-on experience of a committed restoration nursery, as well as first-hand examples of the amount of effort required to protect these special coastal forests. The dense network of roots and stems of mangroves provides protection against harsh storm surges, protects against erosion, and serves as a safe environment for the growth of local marine organisms.

The project focuses on the empowerment of local women to act as a protector of their environment. The program has trained women lake stewards to organise regular cleanups to address plastic pollution that washes up along the lake and coast. The stewards also organise community workshops on pollution prevention and sustainable living on a regular basis. Meanwhile, local fishing communities are being educated on how to make small changes in their day-to-day practices to benefit the water. This involves efforts to remove discarded ghost nets from the lake, prevent domestic waste from entering the lake, and to carefully release endangered Olive Ridley turtles that have become entangled in fishing nets.

This initiative uses digital tools in conservation efforts and provides them to local communities. The project has launched bird and animal field guides that enable residents to record and monitor species around the lake. It also includes equipment such as an Air Quality Monitor and an Automatic Weather Station. When local climate stewards learn to read and understand this real-time data, the community can observe changes in temperature, precipitation, and salinity. This enables them to make informed decisions to safeguard their families and fishing livelihoods.

Looking back on the developments during the past year, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Electric India, Mr Atsushi Takase, noted that real environmental action has to begin at the grassroots level. Pulicat Lake is not just a place on the map; it is a lifeline for generations of fishing families, he said. Local women and fishing communities are involved in this conservation effort, which is important for long-term climate resilience.

This particular local effort is highly compatible with the National Water Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission of India and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for water and climate. It was quite a deliberate choice for the location of Pulicat Lake since it was extremely close to the headquarters of the Company’s manufacturing units in Chennai, which enabled a close bond with the community. This collaboration serves as a fantastic example of the fact that preparing for the impacts of climate change involves aiding the people who know the landscape best and, as more and more mangroves grow and flourish, climate guardians of the area go on their rounds daily.