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A young and dynamic environmentalist from Vellore is our new AID Saathi: C. Srinivasan. Prolonged deforestation and heat radiation from the rocky hillside has made Vellore the hottest town in Tamil Nadu. The water table has dropped by several hundred feet and local river Palar has run dry. Srinivasan established the Vellore Hills Restoration Project and formed Exnora Green Cross (EGC) in 1995. He also started the Indian Green Force (IGF) involving local youths.  The impact of his restoration work is visible everywhere on the hills. Check dams have been built to arrest water runoff, ponds have been de-silted, new ones dug to harvest rainwater, and renovation work is planned in the forts on the hilltops.
EGC’s zero waste management (ZWM) models and organic roof gardens have transformed Vellore. ZWM has brought new life to the local fish market, milk processing plant, colleges, the women’s prison, several town and village panchayats, and temples. Mr.Srinivasan’s model has been widely acclaimed as the ‘National Model’ for ZWM and he has been appointed as the Head Trainer in ZWM by the government of Tamil Nadu. Municipal Corporations in Tamil Nadu, Mysore, Punjab, and Nepal are in the process of replicating his model. EGC has generated employment for hundreds of people through its projects. It is quickly gaining recognition for replicable solutions to environmental problems. AID’s partnership with EGC is bound to be exciting and rewarding. Click here for a longer article about C.Srinivasan
--- Bindu Vishwanathan, Atlanta
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