Titan Restores Akka Thangai Lake After Nearly 50 Years
Krishnagiri/Hosur, October 28, 2026: Titan Company Limited has completed the restoration of Akka Thangai Lake in Anchetty, Thally block, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, for the first time in nearly 50 years. The project is expected to strengthen water access for around 500 farmers, support irrigation across 511 acres of farmland, help recharge approximately 85 borewells and create potential for additional cultivation across around 250 acres.
The restoration was undertaken through Pragati, Titan’s sustainability initiative, in partnership with the National Agro Foundation (NAF). The project aims to improve water availability in the region, where agriculture depends significantly on seasonal rainfall and groundwater.
Before the restoration, groundwater levels reportedly declined to depths of around 120 to 250 feet, while rainfed agriculture had fallen to approximately 40%. The rejuvenation work included desilting and around 2.36 lakh cubic metres of earthwork excavation, renovation of sluice structures and the surplus weir, strengthening of the lake bund through stone pitching and toe-wall construction, repair and construction of feeder channels, and installation of gabion check dams.
The project is expected to augment water availability by approximately 4.10 lakh kilolitres, equivalent to 41 crore litres. The lake’s current storage capacity stands at around 10.36 lakh kilolitres, against a designed 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.”
N.E. Sridhar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company Limited, added, “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”.
The project involved collaboration with 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, alongside Titan and NAF.
To support long-term maintenance, a Farmers’ Association comprising more than 70 farmers has been formed. The association will discuss lake maintenance, water-resource management, farmers’ requirements and future action plans. A Village Water User Committee will oversee regular upkeep, including desilting, bund strengthening and care of planted saplings.
The restored lake was formally handed over by Ajoy Chawla, Managing Director, Titan Company Limited; N.E. Sridhar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Titan Company Limited; and Dr. S.V. Murugan, COO, National Agro Foundation, to Dinesh Kumar, IAS, District Collector, Krishnagiri district. Er. Senthilkumar, Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Dharmapuri, and N. Jayaraj, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Hosur Division, were also present.
The restoration is part of Titan’s wider water stewardship programme under Pragati. According to the company, its initiatives have helped augment water storage capacity by more than 120 crore litres through the restoration of over 12 waterbodies.
Other projects include the restoration of Gunduperumbedu Lake in Sriperumbudur, which added 26 crore litres of holding capacity; the rejuvenation of SIPCOT Hosur Lake, where storage capacity increased from 5.6 crore to 17.1 crore litres; and work on the Masaorambhu stream in Coimbatore’s Thondamuthur block, where nine check dams have helped augment water storage capacity by 15 crore litres.
Through these initiatives, Titan aims to improve water security, support irrigation and rural livelihoods, and restore local ecosystems. The company also identifies community participation and local water-management committees as important measures for sustaining the benefits of restored waterbodies.
