Pyaas Foundation hands over two lake projects

Belagavi: Pyaas Foundation, a leading NGO dedicated to water conservation and environmental sustainability, handed over two of its landmark lake projects in Belagavi district.
The first project, titled Dhobi Ghat Lake, marks a milestone as the first man-made lake constructed in Belagavi in over 50 years. Spread over one-and-a-half acres, the lake features an island planted with fruit-bearing trees to attract birds and foster nesting, creating a thriving micro-ecosystem. The lake was developed with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support from Sneham Taping Solutions and technical guidance from the Indian Institute of Hydrology.
The lake handover ceremony was attended by Brigadier Joydip Mukherji as chief guest, and the waterbody was formally handed over to Rajeev Kumar, IDES, CEO of the Cantonment Board. The event saw attendance from prominent citizens of Belagavi, members of the Cantonment Board, and CSR partners including Anish Metrani (Sneham Taping Solutions), Nitin Khot, Purandar (Indian Institute of Hydrology) and Satish Mannurkar. Brigadier Mukherji praised the efforts of the foundation. CEO Kumar promised to further enhance the lake with a garden for public benefit.
In another major development, Pyaas Foundation handed over the rejuvenated Gajapati Lake, spread over seven-and-a-half acres, to the gram panchayat of Gajapati. This marks the 14th successful lake revival project by the foundation. The project was made possible through CSR funding from Jinabakul Forge Pvt Ltd, Belagavi. The Gajapati Lake handover ceremony was presided over by Laxmi Hebbalkar, minister for women and child welfare, who was the chief guest, and Rahul Shinde, CEO of the zilla panchayat, and youth leader Mrinal Hebbalkar, who served as the guests of honour. Laxmmi Hebbalkar applauded the work of Pyaas Foundation and assured continued support for future projects. The event witnessed participation from Bhalchandra Badan, Kiran Jinagauda, and Santosh Kelgeri, CSR partners from Jinabakul Forge Pvt Ltd, as well as hundreds of local villagers.
The events were seamlessly conducted by the core team of Pyaas Foundation led by Dr Madhav Prabhu, president; Preeti Kore, secretary; Abhimanyu Daga, vice president; Laxmikant Pasari, treasurer; Deepak Oulkar, Avadhoot Samant, Suryakant Hindalgekar, Rohan Kulkarni and Satish Lad, directors. Dr Madhav Prabhu, president of Pyaas Foundation, said they remain committed to water sustainability, ecological restoration, and community development.