Dentist couple saves wildlife by providing them water using solar pumps

As a teenager, Dr Sarita Subramaniam wanted to become a vet. However, she became a dentist instead. “I did not want to see animals die. So, I took up dentistry,” she says. Apart from performing root canal surgeries for dogs and cats, she and her dentist husband Dr PV Subramaniam, work for wildlife conservation, street animal welfare and women empowerment.

In 2017, the duo founded Earth Brigade Foundation (EBF), based in Mumbai. EBF’s Green Brigade project works for wildlife conservation while its Street Brigade is involved in animal welfare in urban areas. 

Passionate about wildlife, the couple travelled to several forest areas as tourists over the last few decades.

They realised one of the biggest challenges facing wildlife is acute drinking water scarcity, especially in the summer. This results in the weakness or death of wild animals and forces them to stray into human habitation.

Straying animals get killed, or get into human-animal conflict situations, where they can damage crops and homes, or cause human injury and death. 

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When the couple spoke to the forest department officials, they were told that they would need to set up an NGO to do something meaningful. That’s how Earth Brigade Foundation was born.  

The foundation’s flagship Project Aquarius leverages solar power to ensure water to wildlife.

Under this project, the foundation has installed 145 solar-powered pump sets in seven states – Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. 

The pump sets are located in 19 forest areas, 10 of which are tiger reserves. The groundwater is pumped up to fill the forest waterholes -- natural or artificial hollows that contain water and are a vital resource for wildlife.

Tip of the iceberg 

“This is only the tip of the iceberg. We need 1.45 lakh installations. The situation is that critical. I don’t think people know how scarce water is in the forests. While the forest department does use tankers to fill waterholes, this is a costly practice. Also, the tankers use diesel, a non-renewable fuel source, cause carbon emissions, and are very noisy which disturbs the animals,” she says. 

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In contrast, solar pump sets mitigate climate change as they are non-polluting. They are also low-maintenance and work silently. The only sound is of groundwater being gently discharged into water bodies.   

Dr Subramaniam has always been keen on wildlife. “While studying dentistry in the mid-1980s, I volunteered for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) more than once. I lived in a tent in the forest for a month and helped conduct nature orientation courses. It was an eye-opener for me," he says.

"I realised at that time that this was my true calling.  I wanted to live in a clean, green forested environment rather than in an urban area,” Dr Subramaniam says.  

“Sarita first visited a forest after we got married. We went to Bandhavgarh National Park in 1997. Despite initial trepidation, she fell in love with forests. Today, she is the engine of the NGO while I play a supporting role,” he says with a smile. 

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After 2017, due to health reasons, Dr Sarita could not practice dentistry actively. She channelled all her efforts working for the NGO. “We live on a farm in Karjat, around two hours from Mumbai, with four dogs (all adopted), a cat (who adopted us), a cow and a bull. The cow and bull provide dung for our organic farm which Subbu nurtures. Twice a week he goes to Mumbai to attend the dental practice.”    

Site recce and installation

The EBF team does a recce of the area and finds out about the animals that come to different waterholes. Then they plan the location of pump sets. Sometimes, the forest department approaches them for help. The water provided through Project Aquarius is for wild animals and anti-poaching staff who camp deep in the forests. 

Each installation costs between Rs 2lakh and Rs7 lakh and takes one or two days to set up on average. The cost and time taken depend on the terrain and number of water bodies the pump set is intended to serve. 

Solar pump sets are provided in all types of forests – national parks (where the highest degree of protection is provided to wildlife), wildlife sanctuaries, reserved forests and territorial forests which include migratory corridors. Some forest areas where Project Aquarius has provided water are Bandipur in Karnataka, Kanha National Park and Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Corbett National Park and the Brahmapuri Divisional Forest in Maharashtra. 

One pump set feeds multiple water bodies through a network of pipelines. This is to ensure that smaller animals also get water. Animals are territorial and come to only certain waterholes, explains Dr Sarita. 

“In each site where we provide water, the biodiversity improves. Other creatures come to water bodies, including butterflies and bees. Providing water improves habitat as well. The forest department has developed grasslands using the water we provide. The department also has nurseries where saplings are cultivated for plantation. These too use the water we provide,” says Dr Subramaniam.  

EBF organised a fund-raising exhibition of wildlife photographic prints in 2018. Seventy-five photographers from all over the country donated their best images for the exhibition. The exhibition helped raise more than Rs 10 lakhs, which was used for solar pump installations.

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Initiatives for forest communities 

Forest guards have to live in remote areas where the availability of safe drinking water is a problem. As a result, they become vulnerable to hepatitis, gastro-enteritis and other health issues.    

Under Project Jal, started in 2021, EBF provides gravity-based water purifiers with extra cartridges that can be used for a year or two before a refill is required. The cost of one water filter and 3 cartridges is Rs 3,500. EBF has donated 2,000 such filters to the forest department for frontline forest staff in several states. 

EBF also fulfils the needs of the communities living in remote areas around forests. EBF’s Pink Brigade empowers underprivileged girls and women with access to menstrual hygiene products. It provides disposable and compostable sanitary napkins.

Solar lamps are provided mainly to reduce human-animal conflict.

Women in rural areas who go out for ablution in the early morning or late evening are vulnerable to attacks by predators. Solar lamps are also provided for children who leave for school at dawn. The foundation also provides daily provisions, vegetables, blankets, raincoats, umbrellas and, clothes to the underprivileged forest-dependent communities. 

“In addition, boots, raincoats, umbrellas and torches are given to forest guards who are on daily wages and do not get much support from the forest department. We have provided tents in some places, including Kolamarka water buffalo sanctuary in Maharashtra.” The dentist couple has also conducted dental health check-up camps for forest officials in Kanha and Corbett tiger reserves. 

EBF has moved the courts when needed, to ensure protection for wildlife and habitats. It filed several PILs, to prevent the tigress Avni from being killed in 2018, but lost the litigations. One PIL is still pending, seeking justice for Avni, the fate of which is not known as of now. 

Funds scarcity 

“We are a small NGO and receiving CSR funds for wildlife causes is very difficult in India. Around 95 percent of CSR funds go to human causes. Forests, wildlife, environment and sustainability get very little money,” says Dr Sarita.

“Initially, we depended on our network of friends and relatives for funds. Some of our funding agencies are Astral Foundation, Nargis Dutt Foundation, Tilak Nagar Industries and Mukul Mahadev Foundation. I think wildlife lovers and conservationists have to build more awareness about water scarcity in forest areas. Also, more wildlife NGOs need to get involved given the magnitude of the problem,” she says emphatically.   

EBF received the prestigious Olive Crown award for the Green NGO of the Year. It was awarded by the India chapter of the International Advertising Association in April 2024. Dr Sarita was recently given the Amazing Indians award for the category ‘Environment and Sustainability’.    

Human-animal conflict

“Human-animal conflict is on the rise. And, it is we humans who are responsible for it. We take away the land, food source and sense of security of wild animals. For instance, the Panna River link project will eat away the territory of 36 or more tigers. I say the leopard did not enter a mall in Andheri, Mumbai. The mall was built in the leopard’s territory,” says Dr Sarita vehemently.

Recently, the habitat of a pack of wolves in Uttar Pradesh was destroyed by floods. They started attacking humans and were finally captured. “They were captured in a barbaric manner and will die in captivity. The forest department does not have the expertise to deal with such situations. There are no proper rescue and conflict management teams. Also, there are hardly any trained wildlife veterinarians in India,” she says. 

A lot of EBF’s work is facilitated by a large body of volunteers. They help with the recce and research work, supervise the solar team and liaise with forest officers. 

“People can do their bit for wildlife conservation efforts by leading moderate lifestyles and curbing wasteful consumption. This will reduce the pressure on the earth’s resources. I would also ask people to visit wildlife reserves as tourists to get connected with wildlife. This will also make them aware of the challenges in forests and spark interest in conservation efforts,” says Dr Subramaniam.   

(Aruna Raghuram is a freelance journalist based in Ahmedabad. She writes on women’s issues, environment, DEI issues, and social/development enterprises.)

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