Nexus Select Trust Restores 10th Lake Under “Lakes of Happyness”

Nexus Select Trust has completed the restoration and handover of its 10th lake under the ESG program “Lakes of Happyness.” The program, launched in 2022, aims to revive 15 lakes across India by FY2026 through sustainable, community-oriented restoration methods.

So far, the initiative has restored 10 lakes across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, impacting more than 100,000 people across over 100 villages. The latest completion is the Gurunath Cheruvu Lake in Miyapur, Hyderabad — a 21-acre water body now rehabilitated and transferred to the local community for public use.

According to Dalip Sehgal, CEO of Nexus Select Trust, the motivation behind the program is the link between water availability and community well-being.

A key feature of Lakes of Happyness is that several restored lakes are located outside the company’s immediate operational areas, including drought-prone agricultural zones in Chalisgaon, temple-linked water systems in Chennai, and semi-urban ecosystems in Bengaluru.

The work has been carried out with support from water conservation experts such as Anand Malligavad and Gunwant Sonawane, using traditional, nature-based techniques. These include de-silting, deepening lake beds, planting native species, and improving natural catchment areas rather than using concrete-based civil structures.

Reported outcomes include increases in groundwater levels by up to 1.5x in regions like Jalgaon and Chalisgaon, refilling of around 20 dry wells, improvement in post-monsoon farmland productivity, return of local biodiversity, and reduced seasonal migration as water access stabilizes.

Jayen Naik, President – Operations, added that “Every lake we’ve restored has become the heart of its community again recharging groundwater, attracting birds, improving crops, and reconnecting people to nature. These lakes don’t just hold water; they hold the promise of a better tomorrow.”

The restoration of the 10th lake in Hyderabad marks the program’s midpoint toward its target of rejuvenating 15 lakes by FY2026, reflecting a long-term effort toward ecological restoration and water security at the community level.