Four corporate houses of Coimbatore join hands ...

Four corporate houses of Coimbatore join hands to make the city’s parched patches water-rich and green.

It’s not just known as a textile or foundry city anymore. Coimbatore has another claim to fame now — it shows the way in harnessing corporate and people power for water resource reclamation and management of waste. Four years ago, this city, which was known for its salubrious climate and copious supply of water, went absolutely dry. “Parched patches of earth, people queuing for water for miles on end, skies bereft of rain-bearing clouds, depleting ground water sources, anger and despair on every face — that was Coimbatore then,” recalls Vanita Mohan, a lady from a leading corporate house and one of the key proponents of change.

Someone had to make a beginning for a different tomorrow. Four leading corporate houses in Coimbatore — Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW), Elgi, Bannariamman and Pricol — pooled their resources to introduce their expertise in rural watershed management to the city. Entrepreneur-driven Coimbatore found its answer in a corporate initiative, Siruthuli, which translated from Tamil, means a small drop.

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