Coimbatore: The `World Water Day’ was celebrated in a novel way by various organisations in the city today.

Members of Siruthuli, Kovai Kulangal Paadhukappu Amaippu and Environmentalist Foundation of India decided to give 100 ml of clean water each from the Noyyal river to 20,000 people, Kovai Kulangal Paadhukappu Amaippu organiser R Manikandan, said.

“Since there is no storage space for water, it just gushes away and the government has taken no effort to check this. Ponds and lakes are the lifelines of Coimbatore and we must do everything to save them. And the efforts should be scientifically and technologically correct with proper inlets and outlets.

“To prevent water from getting contaminated, data is being collected to be put up on a website for the use of all. We have selected Vellalore lake as part of our ambitious plan to restore at least one lake and trees will be planted along its sides.”

Environmentalist Foundation of India chief coordinator Sanjay Prasad said, “Our project for 2018 is restoring the rural areas in Coimbatore and apart from that the theme for World Water Day in Coimbatore is Nature for Water. There are very few natural lakes and 30 man-made wetlands in Coimbatore which are polluted to the core, especially in urban areas where all kinds of waste is dumped.

“These man-made lakes are inter-connected, which means if one lake gets polluted the others will also be affected. Nature should be allowed to bounce back and water day should be celebrated each day since its high time we conserve water.”

Last year the organisation made a documentary `Coimbatore’s Last Drop’ while also restoring the lakes of Kumarasamy Kulam, Selvachintamni Kulam and others. It also conducts lake safaris regularly to sensitise people about depleting lakes in the city.