He is known for founding the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) 2011 based in Chennai which has its branches in 15 states and other cities such as Hyderabad, Delhi and Coimbatore.
[1][2][3] Arun with the organisation has been successful in cleaning at least 169 lakes in the country[4] and having worked in Google before quitting the job to dedicate voluntarily.
[9] He then joined Goodall's Roots & Shoots in India in 2008, an organisation that helps young people to resolve problems within the communities.
Time magazine named Arun as one of the "Next Generation Leader', a series elevating young people from across fields and around the globe who are working to build a better world.
[12][13] [14] Arun Krishnamurthy, founder of Chennai-based Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on 27 March 2022.
In his broadcast, the Prime Minister spoke about conservation efforts across the country, and said Mr. Arun is running a campaign to clean up ponds and lakes.
The travel documentary on rivers of Tamil Nadu scripted and shot by Arun and team Environmental Film Association was well received.
[31] Krishnamurthy is involved in a 16-month project which not only provides physical garbage removal but also puts fencing in the lakes to protect them from human activities as in the case of cleaning beach from Injambakkam to Besant Nagar in Chennai.
On wildlife conservation, the team is currently focusing on freshwater life forms, birds that are dependent on the lakes where many turtles live.
He had directed documentary films such as ‘Caught By’, which focuses on land and sea connection and fishes in the lakes Kurma (2010), for which he received a British Council International Climate Champion Excellence Award for showing the poor condition of sea turtles and Elixir Poisoned (2011) which highlights the need to protect the aquatic environment.
[9] He had said that he does not see personal success in winning Rolex award but as a team effort[30] and had stated that people think that without going on the ground the lakes would be free from garbage and dirt,[42] with laying stress on public support through awareness campaigns.
[37][38] The Arun and EFI has received voluntary support from celebrities of film industry as well, including Kamal Hasan[43] and Trisha Krishnan.