Expected to benefit up to 5000 people in local community

BENGALURU (India CSR): Kennametal India Limited, together with Planet Sutra, a sustainability implementation partner, held an event today to mark the completion of the Harokethanahalli lake restoration project at Bengaluru, India. The project spans nearly 18 acres of land, and the lake itself has a capacity of over 140 million liters of water.

Situated amidst agricultural land, commercial orchards and private farmhouses, and yet away from the public water supply system, the main source of water in the region is groundwater that is extracted through deeply dug borewells for consumption. Further, the hard rocky strata and steep slopes make it challenging for rainwater to percolate into aquifer zones and its runoff rapidly erodes the fertile soil.

This initiative is expected to restore the quality of water of the lake and free it from garbage, effluents, and other pollutants. It should also raise the groundwater table by eight meters, benefitting up to 5000 people living in and around the Harokethanahalli lake. Another key benefit is the revival of the surrounding flora and fauna.

Speaking at the event, Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan, Managing Director, Kennametal India Limited said, “It’s a proud moment for the Kennametal India team as we conclude our second lake restoration project successfully. ‘Protecting our planet’ is a key pillar of Kennametal’s CSR commitment with focus on identifying initiatives that are pertinent to the region and have significant impact on the surrounding community. One such example is the Harokethanahalli lake restoration through various measures, right from ensuring clean water to planting of saplings around the lake to prevent soil erosion, renewing the surrounding eco-system and mostly importantly, cultivating an environment centric mindset among the beneficiaries witnessing this transformation.”