Campaign
Students brand audit
The Living Lab Alleppey launched a students’ brand audit to examine plastic pollution around Vembanad Lake. Pollution hotspots were identified across local self-government jurisdictions adjoining the Punnamada finishing point, providing the basis for a systematic audit. Student volunteers were mobilized through the NSS units of Sree Narayana College, Cherthala, and Government College, Ambalapuzha. Their engagement extended beyond field support, fostering youth participation in grassroots environmental governance and strengthening the link between academic institutions and community-based sustainability efforts.
Prior to the audit, the students received structured training to develop the skills necessary for effective participation. Sessions introduced the concept of brand auditing, the role of producer accountability, and the ecological significance of Vembanad as a Ramsar-listed wetland. Practical demonstrations covered waste sorting, weighing, documentation, and packaging identification, including PET, HDPE, and multilayer plastics. Emphasis was also placed on ensuring data accuracy and adhering to safety protocols through the use of protective equipment and first aid practices.
The preparatory phase provided both technical competence and a sense of responsibility, positioning students as active contributors to environmental management and restoration efforts in the Vembanad region.
Plastic Collection Drive Vembanad
Living Lab Alleppey joined a district-wide plastic waste collection drive aimed at reclaiming Vembanad Lake from mounting plastic pollution. Envisioned as a step toward a cleaner and healthier lake ecosystem, the campaign was spearheaded by the District Collector and District Panchayat with active support from 12 Local Self-Government Departments (LSGDs), including Alappuzha and Cherthala Municipalities and the panchayats of Kainakary, Aryad, Mannancherry, Muhamma, Thanneermukkom, Chennam Pallipuram, Thycattussery, Panavally, Perumbalam, and Arookutty.
The drive mobilized a wide network of stakeholders—MLA P.P. Chithranjan, NSS and NCC units from colleges, Haritha Karma Sena, volunteers from civil society groups, as well as the Houseboat and Fishermen’s Associations. With simultaneous clean-up efforts carried out across multiple panchayats, the campaign demonstrated a strong model of collective environmental action.
On the ground, Fishermen’s and Houseboat Associations focused on removing plastic directly from the lake, while students and community volunteers concentrated on clearing the adjacent shoreline. This collaborative initiative underscored the potential of community-driven interventions in restoring the ecological health of Vembanad
Cherthala campaign
The Save AS Canal campaign in Cherthala marked a turning point in efforts to restore the historic canal linking the town to Vembanad Lake. The campaign began with a canal walk, led by Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, where leaders, residents, and students came together to highlight the canal’s importance for drainage, ecology, and local heritage. The walk set the tone for a series of powerful community-driven actions.
A mass cleaning drive soon followed, organised in eight clusters along the 5 km stretch. Thousands of citizens, NSS and NCC volunteers, Haritha Karma Sena, and members of the houseboat and fishermen’s associations worked side by side, removing nearly 100 tonnes of waste. Plastic was sent for recycling through HKS, while organic waste was converted into compost for farmers, reinforcing the circular economy spirit.
Equally inspiring was the student-led canal survey, facilitated with technical support from Living Lab Alleppey, where 60 students from Punnapra Engineering College and Naipunya College mapped waste inflows, identified pollution hotspots, and surveyed 67 households and 70 businesses. Their findings now provide a scientific base for targeted interventions.
The campaign blended public participation, youth energy, and technical expertise, making it a milestone for Cherthala and a model for future urban waterbody restoration.
Nirmala Bhawanam Nirmala Nagaram 2.0
Azhakode Alleppey Project (2023): A comprehensive plan was formulated to transform Alleppey Municipality into a fully hygienic entity—this project, initiated in 2021, aimed at achieving a clean and sanitary environment. The culmination of this effort was the declaration of Alleppey Municipality as a fully clean city on June 8, 2023, recognised by the Minister of Local Government.
Super Swapper Program
Aimed at reducing waste generated during school openings and fostering environmental awareness among children, the Super Swapper Program was implemented in collaboration with Alleppey Municipality. This program, tailored for children, included recycling campaigns and initiatives to promote the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (RRR), gaining accolades from the Swachh Bharat Mission.
School Sanitation Campaign – "Ente Bhoomi, Ente Bhavi"
Living Lab Alleppey, in collaboration with Alappuzha Municipality, launched the Ente Bhoomi Ente Bhavi campaign to instill sustainable waste management practices among school students and foster a culture of environmental responsibility in the city.
The program was implemented across all 42 schools under the municipality, making it one of the largest awareness drives on waste management in the region. Interactive sessions introduced students to the fundamentals of waste segregation, the science behind composting, and the importance of individual and collective action in creating a clean, resilient Alappuzha.
CANSAN Project
The current team of LIving Lab Alleppey were among the key contributors to the development and implementation of the CANSAN Project, led by Alleppey Municipality, KILA, and IIT Bombay. The initiative aimed to engage school students in environmental action and waste awareness, reaching over 5,000 students across Alleppey through interactive activities such as workshops, street plays, quizzes, and pledge-taking events. CANSAN Clubs were formed in participating schools to maintain ongoing student engagement and encourage sustained participation.
Thelineer Ozhukum Rani Thodu-Canal Rejuvenation Project
As part of the state government’s Thelineer Ozhukum Nava Keralam initiative, a plan was launched in 2022 to rejuvenate the 4 km-long Rani Canal within Alappuzha Municipality. Supported by Living Lab Alleppey, the project combined municipal leadership with strong community participation, focusing on restoring the canal’s drainage capacity, ecological health, and public relevance. Living Lab’s technical and outreach support helped mobilize residents, strengthen awareness, and shape sustainable practices, making the initiative a model for citizen-led urban waterway restoration.
Chathanad Canal People's Cleaning
In 2019, Living Lab Alleppey, in partnership with the Alappuzha Municipality, spearheaded a community-led effort to clean and beautify a neglected 1.6 km stretch of the Chathanad Canal. This canal, situated near the former sanitation workers’ settlement in Municipal Colony, had long suffered from waste accumulation, declining environmental quality, and public neglect.
The initiative involved clearing debris and litter, followed by beautification of the canal banks in collaboration with local artists. These efforts reconnected the canal with the community and highlighted the canal’s ecological and cultural value. The campaign was the practical extension of a broader pilot within the “Canalpy” summer school restoration project, which engaged over 300 students, academic institutions like CUCEK, and technical partners such as IIT Bombay, NEERI, and CDD Society to develop holistic, participatory solutions .
Through this initiative, Living Lab Alleppey demonstrated how combining local action, technical guidance, and creative engagement can transform urban waterways. The project strengthened community ownership and set the stage for replicable models of sustainable canal restoration across Alappuzha.
Powam thodu campaign
The rejuvenation of Powwam Thodu (Powwam Canal) was a landmark initiative in Kuttanad, addressing the region’s recurring floods caused by reduced water-carrying capacity in Vembanad Lake. The 2.5 km canal, running through wards 5, 6, and 7 of Nedumudi Panchayat, directly impacted 240 households and three paddy fields.
The project adopted a dual approach. The technical process involved detailed site visits, mapping the canal’s length, width, and depth, and assessing the volume of silt for removal. Parallelly, the social process focused on mobilizing the community through meetings with Kudumbashree units, MGNREGS workers, and residents. This effort led to the formation of the Thottuvathala Sangam (Canal Bank Association) with 12 committee members dedicated to safeguarding the canal’s future.
A massive one-day campaign on May 18, 2019, brought together nearly 2,000 MGNREGS workers, 50 students, and 500 volunteers from Kudumbashree and local communities to clean and deepen the canal.
This collective effort—facilitated by KILA, IIT Bombay, CANALPY, Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, and the Nedumudi Panchayat—stood as a model of how technical expertise and people’s participation can converge to mitigate floods and restore vital water channels.
CANSAN
In a bid to involve School Students in waste management and environmental consciousness, the CANSAN project was launched in 2019. With the enthusiastic participation of 5000 schoolchildren in Alleppey Town, the project encompassed various activities such as cleanliness workshops, street plays, quizzes, and pledges. This engaging initiative helped cultivate a sense of responsibility towards waste reduction and management.