Titan Company Limited has rejuvenated Akka Thangai Lake, a village irrigation tank in Anchetty, Thally block, Krishnagiri district. The restoration is expected to strengthen water access for around 500 farmers, support 511 acres of farmland, help recharge approximately 85 borewells and create the potential for additional cultivation across around 250 acres. The project was undertaken through Pragati, Titan’s sustainability initiative, in partnership with the National Agro Foundation (NAF). Titan Company Limited has contributed approximately ₹100 crore in Tamil Nadu since 2024 towards programmes spanning girl child education, skilling, village development, eye care and environmental conservation. Of this, nearly ₹25 crore has been contributed towards ecological and environmental initiatives, including afforestation and waterbody restoration.
The lake has been restored for the first time in nearly 50 years. Located around 50 km from Hosur on the route towards Hogenakkal, Akka Thangai Lake has long served farmers around Anchetty. Before the rejuvenation, reports indicated dip in groundwater levels to depths of around 120 to 250 feet and decline in rainfed agriculture to around 40%. The restoration included desilting and approximately 2.36 lakh cubic metres of earthwork excavation; renovation of the sluice structures and surplus weir; strengthening of the bund through stone pitching and toe-wall construction; repair and construction of feeder channels; and installation of gabion check dams. Overall, the initiative will fuel water augmentation of approximately 4.10 lakh kilolitres (41 crore litres). The lake's storage capacity now stands at approximately 10.36 lakh kilolitres, against a design capacity of 14.40 lakh kilolitres.
Speaking on the occasion, Ajoy Chawla, Managing Director, Titan Company Limited, said, “At Titan, we see sustainability as an integral part of how we create value over the long term and lead meaningful action on the ground. The revival of Akka Thangai Lake brings together the restoration of critical water infrastructure in collaboration with government authorities and the local communities. Restoration of these traditional waterbodies is an important investment in building resilience of these rural communities, especially where agriculture extensively depends on seasonal rainfall and groundwater. The priority now is to sustain the lake’s functionality through regular upkeep and community participation, so that its benefits can extend to the communities that rely on it.”
“At Akka Thangai, our restoration efforts addressed the lake’s underlying infrastructure, including its feeder channels, sluices, weir and bund, so that it can function more effectively as an irrigation resource. Improved water retention and groundwater recharge are expected to help farmers manage water stress, support agricultural productivity and strengthen rural livelihoods in this region. Plantation around the lake will also aid ecological restoration”, added N.E. Sridhar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company Limited.
In addition to Titan and NAF, the project also included the Krishnagiri District Administration, the Water Resources Department (WRD), the Public Works Department (PWD), the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW) and the Forest Department. Furthermore, a Farmers’ Association comprising more than 70 farmers has been formed to discuss lake maintenance, water-resource management, farmers’ needs and future action plans. The Village Water User Committee will oversee regular upkeep, including desilting, bund strengthening and care of the planted saplings.
The lake was handed over by Ajoy Chawla (MD, Titan Company Ltd), N E Sridhar (Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company Ltd), and implementation partner Dr S.V. Murugan (COO of National Agro Foundation) to Dinesh Kumar (IAS), District Collector (Krishnagiri District); in the presence of Er. Senthilkumar, (Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department in Dharmapuri and N. Jayaraj (IFS), Divisional Forest Officer (Hosur Division).
The restoration of Akka Thangai Lake is part of Titan’s broader water stewardship efforts under Pragati, through which the company has helped augment water storage capacity by over 120 crore litres through the restoration of more than 12 waterbodies. These include the 157-hectare Gunduperumbedu Lake in Sriperumbudur, rejuvenated in partnership with the National Agro Foundation (NAF) to add 26 crore litres of holding capacity; SIPCOT Hosur Lake, where capacity increased from 5.6 crore to 17.1 crore litres; and the Masaorambhu stream in Coimbatore’s Thondamuthur block, where nine check dams have helped augment water storage capacity by 15 crore litres. The Akka Thangai Lake restoration is the third major waterbody restoration project, with an expected capacity augmentation of 40 crore litres. Beyond strengthening water security and improving irrigation, these projects aim to restore local ecosystems, mitigate human wildlife conflict and support farmers’ livelihoods by enabling additional crop cycles. Community participation, including lake management committees, is central to ensuring the long term sustainability of these initiatives.