Lake Restoration Hero Anand Malligavad Wins ‘The Weekend Leader - VIT Person of the Year’ Title

Anand Malligavad, known as the 'Lake Man of India', has been chosen as ‘The Weekend Leader – VIT Person of the Year’ (2022) for his remarkable work on lakes in India.

Anand, from Bengaluru, studied engineering and was born in a village in Koppal district, North Karnataka. He started the Malligavad Foundation in 2019 to help save dying lakes in our country.

Anand's journey to lake restoration began with a startling news report he encountered in 2016. The report predicted that by 2030, 21 Indian cities would grapple with water shortages.

This particularly resonated with Anand as Bengaluru, once home to 290 lakes in the 1960s, witnessed a rapid decline in its lake count. By 2017, a mere 90 lakes remained, with only 10 in a healthy state.

Under Anand's leadership, the Malligavad Foundation has brought life back to nearly 80 lakes across the country, covering a whopping 500 acres. These include 33 in Bengaluru, seven in Ayodhya, eight in Lucknow, and another 40 in Odisha.

In Karnataka alone, some of the notable lakes he has rejuvenated include Nanjapura, Kyalasanahalli, Vabasandra, Bingipura, Konasandra, Gavi, Manae, Hadosiddapura, and Chikkanagamangala, among others.


Among his numerous projects, the expansive Samda Lake & Bird Sanctuary in Ayodhya, UP, sprawling over 165 acres, stands out as the largest.

An esteemed jury selected the winner from a list of five nominees provided by The Weekend Leader’s editorial team.
The jury included Soumya Sambasivan, IPS (SP of Mandi District in Himachal Pradesh), Paul Basil (Co-Founder of Menterra Ventures and Founder of Villgro Innovations Foundation), and Dr. V V Gopal (Dean of VIT Business School at VIT, Vellore).

Other nominees for the award were Nupur Lalvani, the founder of Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation, Dr. Manju Vasudevan, the founder of Forest Post, Anish Malpani, the founder of Ashaya, and Amita Deshpande, the founder of reCharkha.

The Weekend Leader – VIT Person of the Year Award includes a trophy, citation, and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000. The award ceremony will take place at VIT, Vellore. - TWL Bureau