Teresa Scholastica Thomas, Sanmadi K.R., I. Santhanamari, M. Mathivanan, M. Soubadra Devy

Mongabay | October 13, 2025

Thirupudaimaruthur, on the banks of the river Thamirabarani in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, emerged as a model village for using a hyper-local approach for river restoration. Waste from rituals in temples are frequently discarded into Thamirabarani. Agricultural runoff carries pesticides into the water and untreated domestic sewage continues to enter the river at several points. At Thirupudaimaruthur, the community has adopted a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation, integrating ecological, cultural, and social dimensions, making it a scalable model for community-led river restoration. The views in the commentary are that of the authors.