Philanthropist Aims to Atone for Climate Crisis with Biodiversity Ark

Harish Yarlagadda built his fortune by burning fossil fuels. As founding chairman of Greenko and promoter of Lanco Power, he spent decades in the power sector. But during the pandemic he started thinking about his role in the climate crisis and how he could atone for it. His answer came in the form of his philanthropic venture, Dharmavana Nature Ark—a 400-acre biodiversity conservatory, at Bhongir on the Deccan plateau. Setting up the reserve, along with co-founder William Frederick Durr, has increased his circle of moral concern. While the environmental spotlight frequently falls on the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats rarely make conservation headlines. However, the dry, scrubby ecosystem is unique and holds extraordinary biodiversity. Harish is determined to preserve this ecosystem. In this conversation with IDR, the founder and chairman of the Malaxmi Group based in Hyderabad, talks about why biodiversity conservation is ultimately an act of human self-preservatio