A restoration project by Amazon India at Yamare Lake, located in Yamare Village, near Sarjapur Road in greater Bengaluru area, is expected to increase the water volume of the lake from less than one acre to 21 acres once completed. Working with SayTrees, a local environmental organization, Amazon plans to replenish more than 270 litres of water annually, with the objective to benefit the local community. Once finalized, this project will help Amazon make progress toward its plan to return more water to communities in India than it uses by 2027.
Amazon and SayTrees are working towards restoring Yamare Lake, which has experienced significant degradation, partly due to its past use as a waste disposal area. Rejuvenation efforts aim to expand the water body from its current size of 0.6 acres to approximately 21 acres. This project aims to not only transform Yamare Lake into a thriving ecosystem, but also significantly improve water availability and groundwater infiltration, with the goal of benefiting both the environment and surrounding communities.
Sri D.K. Shivakumar, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister and State Minister for Water Resources, Karnataka said: “Effective corporate stewardship can be a game-changer in saving not just our water bodies, but also our communities that rely on them for their livelihoods. By adopting responsible water management practices and investing in community development projects, corporations can play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of both our people and our planet.”
Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations, Amazon India, said: “We recognize that water is a collective responsibility. It’s a vital resource for communities, agriculture, and business continuity in India. At Amazon, we are not only focused on improving water efficiency in our operations, but also committed to collaborating with local communities to create resilient water solutions.”
Deokant Payasi, Trustee with SayTrees, said: “These models where civic society and businesses come together to deliver on water conservation goals, are the most viable and efficient. The private sector’s acknowledgment and investment is crucial to the success of such projects. They will improve communities’ access to water and restore the natural balance of the ecosystem.”
With Karnataka experiencing one of its worst droughts in four decades last year, Bengaluru’s water security has emerged as a pressing challenge. Through such local efforts, Amazon intends to contribute to long-term water security in the region.
Additionally, Amazon has also invested in restoration of Sai Reddy Lake in Hyderabad. These efforts build on Amazon’s work over the last several years to improve water efficiency at its sites in India, and on investments in projects that return water to critically water-stressed communities. Investments previously made by Amazon in India since 2020 have already enabled long-lasting, climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions to benefit more than 1 million people.
