The story of the Naganadhi River Project: In 2014, Chandrashekar Kuppan was working as an electrician in a local school in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, when he was inspired by The Art of Living to revive the Naganadhi River that was once the lifeline of the area and had run dry for the last 15 years.

With the support of local government officials, he availed funds through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and employed local women since the men had left for cities to look for work.

Since then, Kuppan has engaged over 42,000 women and constructed over 4,900 recharge structures across the 7 districts.

Today, the Naganadhi river flows again. The water table has risen and the men have begun to return to their homes and their farms. Farmers now harvest 3 crops a year and the economy has turned for the better.

In 2019, Vellore was recognized by the Government of India as the best district in the southern region for River Revival. The participation of the women in the project was acknowledged at the awards.