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A Tigress in Need Inspired This Surgeon Couple to Save India’s Wildlife with Solar Power
It was a scorching May afternoon, and the sun stood directly overhead, blazing fiercely over the forest of the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The usual verdant underbrush appeared parched and lifeless. That’s when Dr Sarita Subramanian spotted a young tigress sitting by a drying puddle.
“She was trying to drink from a small puddle. She then sat in the same puddle to cool herself. Her eyes reflected the struggle of thriving in a parched wilderness. Seeing her with limited resources struck me deeply. If this was the only water available, it made me wonder about the plight of smaller species. “We always talk about leaving bowls of water for birds during summer, but do we really consider the greater issue of water scarcity in the wild?” she asks.
It was this tigress’ silent plea for water that truly drove home the need for a sustainable solution. “This wasn’t just a scene of a tigress; it represented an urgent call to action — a way to restore balance and sustainability,” she adds.
Advertisement Dr Sarita and Dr PV Subramaniam have devoted themselves to providing water for wildlife using solar pumps.Dr Sarita and her husband Dr PV Subramaniam, both seasoned dental surgeons turned wildlife crusaders, were deeply moved by the visible impact of water scarcity. Soon after 2017, the couple launched their non-profit Earth’s Brigade Foundation. Armed with a vision to support wildlife preservation, they decided on a seemingly simple yet revolutionary solution of solar water pumps.
So far, the couple has successfully completed 170 solar water pump installations in 25 forests and wildlife sanctuaries across seven states. Of these, 13 are tiger reserves including Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, Kalagarh and Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand, Mukundra Hills and Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, Panna and Kanha Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh, Sathyamangalam and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu.
A pledge to the wild
The Mumbai-based couple has always been fascinated by wildlife. “My husband and I have always been avid bird watchers. We would travel extensively across the length and breadth of the country. We did what we could to support wildlife and their habitats. However, it became clear to me........
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