Meet Madhulika Choudhary, a strong-willed environmental activist who left a great life abroad to do something for the country and its people, whom she strongly believes in. HatkeStory has been following her work over the years, and we must say, we are very impressed by her dedication and deep-rooted belief in environmental protection.

Madhulika Choudhary has battled land sharks, political pressure, and local apathy towards the environment to restore Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad from a state of decay to a biodiversity-rich tourist park. People now come and ask if there is a ticket for visiting the lake premises. You must visit this place if you are a resident of Hyderabad.

“We always complain but never give a solution. It is about time that environmental protection should be treated as a professional service, not a social service,” says Madhulika. We had a great conversation with her at the Neknampur Lake, which now looks alive compared to the dump yard when we first saw it.

HatkeStory: Where are you from? What is your educational background?

Madhulika: I am basically from Pilani, Rajasthan. After my MSc in Computer Science, I worked as a research scientist in Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Pilani, for two years. It would help if you had a lot of patience to work at Central Govt. run institutes. I felt like I was in a cage. Consequently, I left the job and joined an M.Tech program in Jaipur.

I worked for a while as a professor at ICFAI. I later moved to Sharda University, where I learned Chinese and was a course content creator for Chinese nationals. Soon after, I moved to Singapore with my husband. 

HatkeStory: What did you like to do when you were a child?

Madhulika: I was a naughty child. I loved exploring mysteries and haunted places. I once crossed a railway track like we crossed a normal road when a train was fast approaching. My mother thought that was my last day. Luckily, when I came back giggling, she slapped me hard. That made me realize I took too much of a risk. My parents had an adamant time dealing with my hyperactivity and frequent bruises from accidents. That’s why I was constantly caged!

HatkeStory: What brought you back to India?

Madhulika: I was leading a perfect life in Singapore. I was a typical Indian talking in terms of packages. I was a Status freak. My neighbors, primarily non-Indians, used to taunt me, saying Indians are brilliant, but India is a rape country. One day something snapped inside me, which led to a big fight. These so-called developed countries are not very clean, as shown at the international level. If people are so civilized there, what’s the need for $1000 penalties? Indians are one of the most civilized groups in the world. The majority keep things in order despite having no penalties.

This fight with my neighbors led me to believe that we can do a lot to change how things work in India. My kids were accustomed to air-conditioned environments. I regret not being able to do anything to change this. My son refuses to walk barefoot on grass, feels suffocated if I turn off the air conditioner. Somewhere, I started to doubt my parenting. Our worldly pleasures are defining our lives now, and possessions define friendships. Such life consumes your time, and issues like environment and awareness sound like hogwash to people.

I decided to pack my bags and come back to India with my kids to do something independently.

HatkeStory: That must have been a tough decision?

Madhulika: You must change your family life first before trying to change the world. Despite both my parents being public sector scientists, they always wanted me to go and settle abroad. They settled in Canada. I know India is mired in politics, and there is lots of negativity. Many are not proud of our country. But, you have to make an effort to change things.

You should have the strength to answer questions when you decide to leave all your past comforts.

How did your decision to leave Singapore to go with your family?

Madhulika: My husband was not at all ready. He gave me six months to get it over with and the funds to survive in India. I took my kids along and returned to India without any plan! I was very agitated mentally because I was not sure of my future course of action in India.

I had confidence that my kids will somehow earn money. If I can give them a healthy environment to grow up in, I will have done something good for them. Leaving behind property for your kids is like putting them in a sophisticated wheelchair.

Madhulika Choudhary – Dhruvansh NGO

Why did you choose Hyderabad as your destination to start your new life?

Madhulika: Hyderabad is a place where no one knows me. I wanted to start life from scratch. I didn’t want to go back to North India because status-related issues would lead to mental agony. Relatives, friends would keep asking uncomfortable questions. They would taunt me, saying I had studied so much and yet am wasting my life fighting for a lost cause like environmental protection and conservation.

I wanted to show people that an average citizen can do many things at the ground level. I started my work here by establishing an organization called Dhruvansh NGO. I don’t know anyone here, so it was beneficial. I didn’t get scared of threats from local land sharks. The police system is perfect in Hyderabad.

Team Madhulika at Dhruvansh NGO

Can you tell us about your journey with Dhruvansh?

Madhulika: I started by visiting a lot of schools to create awareness. I used to do projects on solar energy and organize discussions on global warming. I wanted kids to learn the importance of controlling pollution, avoid wastage. Kids used to love it. I did this for a year. I used to conduct talent hunt contests whose theme was to find “Indians in India.” I being a science student, wanted to apply science to bring about change. I believe I have been able to give hope to people.

What is your take on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

Madhulika: To be frank, I’m not too fond of CSR. It is just propaganda and all about money. Corporate volunteers come here, spend 2 hours, click photos and go away. If a fund of 1 lakh is allocated, 70 thousand goes into publicity. Such volunteers from the IT sector are good for nothing.

Schools under CSR schemes get sports material when there are no playgrounds to use them. Some companies do it for a day for publicity and leave. Thanks to them, when we go to Govt. schools to do some good or create awareness, they ask what we have to offer.

What attitude do you think we Indians should change?

Madhulika: We Indians have a very wrong notion that a foreign country’s product would be better than an Indian make. Moreover, we stereotype very quickly. India is so large that we must not simply generalize everything because of minor events. All those people who often criticize India know very little about our country.

Team Madhulika Awards – Dhruvansh NGO

How is it working with Govt. officials?

Madhulika: It has been perfect for the past two years. I never expected I would get so much excellent & valuable support. It is normal to think they would shy away from support when there are controversies, but strangely they stood by my side firmly. The PCB, HMDA, Irrigation Dept. and GHMC have stood by my side, and they, just like me, strongly believe in change.

What is the ecological Impact since you started working on Neknampur Lake?

Madhulika: That’s the question I was looking for! Plants play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance. We have substantially increased the Plantation, which brought in insects, in turn, attracting birds. Many bird species have made Neknampur lake their nesting ground. You can see Indian terrapins (fresh-water turtles) at 7 AM. They eat sludge from the lake. Ultimately, trees are providing the necessary biodiversity.

Now, you can find so many types of spiders, butterflies with different colors that surround you when you walk along the banks of the lake. The lake also has Pythons and Monitor lizards. You feel great sitting and admiring the natural beauty.

Team Madhulika – Dhruvansh NGO conserving Bio diversity at Neknampur

Who maintains the lake? Can you tell us about your Floating island?

Madhulika: Dhruvansh is maintaining the lake in association with the Govt. of Telangana. The locals have a false notion that NGO means one banner, two words, and no work. Officers from various government departments have appreciated the work we have done. You have to develop the area so that people take notice so that land sharks stay away from open parcels of land. We have done just that.

We have installed a floating island on Neknampur lake to Improve Water Quality and Increase biodiversity. Several selected plants on this Floating Treatment Wetland clean the lake by absorbing nutrients dissolved in the water, such as excess nitrates and oxygen, thereby reducing the content of these chemicals.

Team Madhulika – Dhruvansh NGO floating island

What have you learned?

Madhulika: I have built up a significant amount of confidence. I have learned to be brave, digest criticism, and go ahead. When you are confident, you lose the concept of fear. I believe I will be successful with whatever I am doing because Mother Nature is with me!

Do you think you have succeeded in your mission?

Madhulika: I don’t think this is a success yet. Neknampur Lake is a tiny lake, and I would like to take up more projects in restoring ecological balance with the help of the State government. We are working on Errakunta and Pragati Nagar lakes too. I am still testing myself and want to see how long this particular model is successful. There is still a very long way to go for me and Dhruvansh NGO.

Team Madhulika – Dhruvansh NGO birds in the lake

We asked her how satisfied she is with her work, and a broad smile on her face says it all!

All our readers who are interested in volunteering or following the work of Dhruvansh NGO can connect with them on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ngodhruvansh/

Website:  http://www.dhruvansh.org/

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