Called Crazy, Engineer Ignores Criticism, Uses Ancestral Techniques, Revives Dry Lake in Just Six Months and Starts Crusade That Has Already Revived Over 90 Lakes and Inspires All of India

Written by Carla Teles

Published on 06/03/2026 at 21:01

Updated on 06/03/2026 at 21:10

Engenheiro em Bengaluru usa técnicas ancestrais para devolver água limpa ao lago e inspirar a Índia. Imagem: Linkedin

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Engineer Anand Malligavad Began The Recovery Of A Lake In Bengaluru, Reintroduced Clean Water To The Lake System And Has Already Helped Restore Over 90 Lakes Across The Country

Engineer Anand Malligavad decided to face a problem that seemed impossible: bringing water back to a dry lake in Bengaluru, a city that was once known as the “city of lakes,” but has faced scarcity due to low rainfall and excessive construction. Without prior experience in lake restoration, the engineer chose to act even when he heard laughter and criticism.

The turning point began at Kyalasanahalli lake. Malligavad researched ancient irrigation methods, sought resources, and put machines to work on the lakebed. Six months after the end of the monsoon season, clean water returned, and what started as an isolated project became a crusade that now inspires other regions of India.

The Lake Crisis In Bengaluru And The Decision Of An Engineer

Bengaluru has undergone a drastic change in its water system: many lakes have dried up and some are at risk of disappearing.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Ancient Techniques And A Direct Method To Reintroduce Water To The Lake

Instead of relying solely on modern solutions or large new structures, the engineer sought references in ancient irrigation methods and applied simple principles of restoring natural flow: unblock, reconnect, and allow water to circulate again.

With a corporate social responsibility donation of US$ 100,000 from the company he worked for, he hired excavators to remove sludge, garbage, and plastic waste from the lakebed and reopen channels that had been blocked over time.

This combination of study and practical execution accelerated the process and created conditions for the return of water.

The Transformation Of The Lake Of Kyalasanahalli In Just Six Months

The most impressive milestone of the engineer’s work took place at Kyalasanahalli. After cleaning the lakebed and reopening channels, Malligavad also created islands for migratory birds, adding an ecological component to the project and reinforcing the lake’s function beyond water supply.

The impact was swift: six months after the end of the monsoon season, the lake was already filled with clean water again. What was once a degraded space returned to function as a body of water, with signs of environmental recovery and a strong symbolic effect for the city.

From One Lake To More Than 90: The Expansion Led By An Engineer

After the first case, Malligavad expanded his work. According to reported figures, the engineer has restored over 35 lakes in Bengaluru, as well as seven lakes in Ayodhya, nine in Lucknow, and 40 bodies of water in Odisha. Adding these efforts, the project surpasses the mark of over 90 restored lakes.

This reach changed how he was perceived. From someone without a background in the field, the engineer became a national reference in lake restoration, associated with a recovery model that combines cleaning, channel reactivation, and care for the ecosystem.

“Life Purpose” And The Goal Of One Hundred Thousand Lakes

Malligavad defines his work as a personal mission. He claims he wants to restore one hundred thousand lakes before he dies and summarizes the urgency with a direct comparison: you can find alternatives to milk, but what will you do without water?

The story of the engineer also highlights a central point: a single person can unlock change when they decide to tackle a problem with method, persistence, and concrete action, especially on issues related to water, pollution, and climate.

In your opinion, what matters more for an engineer to recover a lake: money, technique, or persistence to not give up when everyone criticizes?

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09/03/2026 04:13

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Called Crazy, Engineer Ignores Criticism, Uses Ancestral Techniques, Revives Dry Lake in Just Six Months and Starts Crusade That Has Already Revived Over 90 Lakes and Inspires All of India

Engineer Anand Malligavad Began The Recovery Of A Lake In Bengaluru, Reintroduced Clean Water To The Lake System And Has Already Helped Restore Over 90 Lakes Across The Country

The Lake Crisis In Bengaluru And The Decision Of An Engineer

Ancient Techniques And A Direct Method To Reintroduce Water To The Lake

The Transformation Of The Lake Of Kyalasanahalli In Just Six Months

From One Lake To More Than 90: The Expansion Led By An Engineer

“Life Purpose” And The Goal Of One Hundred Thousand Lakes

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Called Crazy, Engineer Ignores Criticism, Uses Ancestral Techniques, Revives Dry Lake in Just Six Months and Starts Crusade That Has Already Revived Over 90 Lakes and Inspires All of India

Engineer Anand Malligavad Began The Recovery Of A Lake In Bengaluru, Reintroduced Clean Water To The Lake System And Has Already Helped Restore Over 90 Lakes Across The Country

The Lake Crisis In Bengaluru And The Decision Of An Engineer

Ancient Techniques And A Direct Method To Reintroduce Water To The Lake

The Transformation Of The Lake Of Kyalasanahalli In Just Six Months

From One Lake To More Than 90: The Expansion Led By An Engineer

“Life Purpose” And The Goal Of One Hundred Thousand Lakes

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Spain installs two giant pipelines 2.2 km off the coast to draw water from the Mediterranean and supply a megafacility capable of producing 200 million liters of drinking water per day.

Without wheels, iron, or machines, teams of up to 32 men would have dragged 2.3-ton blocks over wet sand up a ramp embedded in the pyramid itself, raising the structure in 20 to 27 years, according to a new computer model that reignites a millennia-old debate.

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While Brazilian stadiums take weeks to change the turf, the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid stores six trays of 1,500 tons in less than five hours and transforms the field into a stage, increasing revenue and event capacity.