Titan Company Limited’s restoration of the traditional irrigation tank in Krishnagiri is expected to augment around 41 crore litres of water, support 511 acres of farmland and strengthen rural resilience.
Krishnagiri/Hosur (India CSR): For nearly 50 years, Akka Thangai Lake in Anchetty, Krishnagiri district, had gradually lost much of its ability to serve the farming communities around it. Silt accumulation, weakened water structures and reduced groundwater levels had affected the lake’s role as a dependable irrigation resource. Now, through a major restoration initiative led by Titan Company Limited under its sustainability programme, Pragati, the village waterbody has been revived with the potential to benefit around 500 farmers.
The rejuvenated lake is expected to support 511 acres of farmland, recharge nearly 85 borewells and enable additional cultivation across around 250 acres. The project is expected to augment water availability by approximately 4.10 lakh kilolitres, or around 41 crore litres. It marks an important example of how corporate water stewardship, government collaboration and community participation can come together to restore traditional water infrastructure.
Located around 50 km from Hosur on the route towards Hogenakkal, Akka Thangai Lake has historically served as an irrigation source for farmers in and around Anchetty in Thally block. However, before the restoration, groundwater levels had reportedly declined to depths of around 120 to 250 feet. Rainfed agriculture in the region had also fallen to around 40 per cent, placing significant pressure on farming livelihoods dependent on seasonal rainfall and borewell water.
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Restoring More Than a Waterbody
The Akka Thangai Lake restoration was undertaken by Titan Company Limited in partnership with the National Agro Foundation. The work focused not only on removing accumulated silt but also on rebuilding the lake’s water-management infrastructure so that it can function effectively over the long term.
The restoration included desilting and earthwork excavation of approximately 2.36 lakh cubic metres. The project also involved renovation of sluice structures and the 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.
These interventions are designed to improve the lake’s capacity to capture, hold and distribute rainwater. The lake’s storage capacity now stands at approximately 10.36 lakh kilolitres, against a design capacity of 14.40 lakh kilolitres. Improved water retention is expected to strengthen groundwater recharge, reduce water stress and support agricultural productivity in the region.
Ajoy Chawla, Managing Director, Titan Company Limited, said the project represents an investment in the long-term resilience of rural communities.
“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,” he said. “The revival of Akka Thangai Lake brings together the restoration of critical water infrastructure in collaboration with government authorities and the local communities.”
He added that traditional waterbodies are particularly important in regions where agriculture depends extensively 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,” he said.
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Water Security for Farms and Families
The impact of lake restoration extends beyond the visible water spread. For farming communities, a functioning irrigation tank can improve access to water, reduce dependence on deeper borewells and support more predictable cultivation cycles.
At Akka Thangai Lake, the restored water infrastructure is expected to support 511 acres of farmland and create the potential for cultivation across an additional 250 acres. The initiative may also help recharge approximately 85 borewells in the surrounding area, offering farmers improved access to groundwater.
N.E. Sridhar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company Limited, said that the restoration addressed the lake’s underlying infrastructure to make it a more effective 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,” he said. “Plantation around the lake will also aid ecological restoration.”
The initiative is especially relevant in a region where water availability directly shapes agricultural decisions. Better recharge, stronger feeder channels and improved lake storage can help farmers plan crop cycles with greater confidence. It can also support the wider local ecosystem by improving water availability for vegetation and biodiversity.
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Community Ownership at the Core
A key feature of the Akka Thangai Lake project is its focus on community-led maintenance. Infrastructure restoration delivers lasting impact only when local users are involved in protecting and managing the asset after the project is completed.
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 planted saplings.
This community-based approach is important because it gives farmers a direct stake in the lake’s future. It creates a local platform for discussing water use, maintenance needs and sustainable management practices. Such participation can help ensure that the restored lake remains functional for years rather than becoming dependent only on periodic external intervention.
The project involved several institutions, including the Krishnagiri District Administration, Water Resources Department, Public Works Department, International Centre for Clean Water and Forest Department. The collaborative effort reflects the scale of coordination needed to restore traditional water infrastructure effectively.
The lake was formally handed over by Ajoy Chawla and N.E. Sridhar of Titan Company Limited, along with Dr. S.V. Murugan, Chief Operating Officer of National Agro Foundation, to Dinesh Kumar, IAS, District Collector of Krishnagiri district. The event was held in the presence of Er. Senthilkumar, Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Dharmapuri, and N. Jayaraj, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Hosur Division.
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Part of Titan’s Wider Water Stewardship Journey
The Akka Thangai Lake project is part of Titan’s broader water stewardship work under Pragati. Since 2024, Titan Company Limited has contributed approximately Rs. 100 crore in CSR across programmes related to girl child education, skilling, village development, eye care and environmental conservation. Of this, nearly Rs. 25 crore has been directed towards ecological and environmental initiatives, including afforestation and waterbody restoration.
Through Pragati, Titan has helped augment water storage capacity by more than 120 crore litres through restoration of over 12 waterbodies. The Akka Thangai Lake project is the company’s third major waterbody restoration initiative.
Among Titan’s other initiatives is the restoration of the 157-hectare Gunduperumbedu Lake in Sriperumbudur, undertaken in partnership with National Agro Foundation. The project added around 26 crore litres of holding capacity. At SIPCOT Hosur Lake, water-storage capacity increased from 5.6 crore litres to 17.1 crore litres. In Coimbatore’s Thondamuthur block, restoration work on the Masaorambhu stream included nine check dams, helping augment water-storage capacity by around 15 crore litres.
These projects demonstrate that water stewardship can create impact across several connected areas: irrigation, groundwater recharge, ecological restoration, rural livelihoods and climate resilience. In some regions, improved water availability can also help reduce pressure on surrounding ecosystems and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
For the farmers around Anchetty, however, the impact of Akka Thangai Lake will be measured through everyday outcomes: water in borewells, crops in fields, stronger cultivation cycles and greater confidence before the next monsoon season. After nearly five decades, the restored lake has the potential to become a shared source of water security and hope for the rural communities it was built to serve.
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Key Facts: Akka Thangai Lake Restoration
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Project | Akka Thangai Lake Restoration |
| Location | Anchetty, Thally block, Krishnagiri district, near Hosur |
| Implemented by | Titan Company Limited under its sustainability initiative, Pragati |
| Implementation partner | National Agro Foundation (NAF) |
| Restoration timeline | Revived for the first time in nearly 50 years |
| Farmers expected to benefit | Around 500 farmers |
| Farmland supported | 511 acres |
| Potential additional cultivation | Around 250 acres |
| Borewells expected to recharge | Approximately 85 borewells |
| Water augmentation | About 4.10 lakh kilolitres, equivalent to around 41 crore litres |
| Current storage capacity | Approximately 10.36 lakh kilolitres |
| Original design capacity | Approximately 14.40 lakh kilolitres |
| Earthwork excavation | Around 2.36 lakh cubic metres |
| Major restoration work | Desilting, sluice and surplus-weir renovation, bund strengthening, feeder-channel repairs and gabion check dams |
| Community institution | Farmers’ Association with more than 70 farmers |
| Ongoing maintenance | Village Water User Committee to oversee desilting, bund strengthening and plantation care |
| Government and technical partners | Krishnagiri District Administration, WRD, PWD, ICCW and Forest Department |
| Titan’s CSR contribution since 2024 | Approximately ₹100 crore |
| Titan’s ecological/environmental CSR spend | Nearly ₹25 crore |
| Wider water stewardship | More than 12 waterbodies restored, augmenting over 120 crore litres of water-storage capacity |
