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A glorious system in peril
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The Noyyal River water and tank canal system, which has a long and illustrious history, is now virtually moribund. Consistent efforts and corrective measures can help revive it, writes M. ALLIRAJAN.
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A view of the Ukkadam big tank. Pics: K. Ananthan.
COIMBATORE, ONCE known for its salubrious climate is now changing. The summers are turning hot and humid and the nip in the air is missing in the winters. The cool breeze that usually sweeps through the city has turned sullen and even a brief spell of rain is enough to flood the roads. If this is not enough, the groundwater level is depleting at an alarming pace.
This city earned the epithet of "Poor Man's Ooty" thanks to its tank system -- The Noyyal river and tank canal system -- conservationists say. The efficient system also resulted in stable groundwater levels, they point out. Today's changes are because that system has been thrown into disuse.
The system has a rich history and is believed to have been designed by the Chola kings. Civilisations have always flourished around rivers. And, in Coimbatore, it developed in and around the Noyyal. The old township resembled an island with the Noyyal, rivulets, channels and tanks that branched out from it enveloping Coimbatore and its periphery. In those days the Noyyal ran through the middle of the old town. When Tipu Sultan fought the British, he stationed his cavalry unit in what is now known as Kottaimedu.
The reason? The vast Valankulam tank had all the fresh water the horses needed. During the salt satyagraha , freedom fighters boiled water taken from the tank as a symbolic protest, old-timers recall. Most public meetings were organised on its banks. Now the place has turned into a garbage dump. The Noyyal or Noi il river, which translates into "devoid of illness" in Tamil, holds special significance for Hindus. After worshipping Lord Shiva, the presiding deity at the Perur Patteeswarar temple situated on its banks, devotees take a holy dip in the river to get rid of their sins.
Until recently, migratory birds frequented these tanks for breeding and fisher folk harvested fresh water fish. A total of 32 tanks, each catering to a large irrigation area, were in existence prior to Independence. Nineteen of these were located in and around Coimbatore city in 1947. The system originated from the Vellingiri hills and ran up to Tirupur, covering 61.80 km. The tanks acted as flood water moderators and storm water drains.
All these tanks were interlinked and acted as some kind of artificial tributaries. The entire surplus water of Noyyal flowed through them. So the phenomenon of 'flooding' was totally unheard of. These tanks also played a major role in replenishing the ground water by charging the subsoil water through percolation and maintained it at a high and steady level. As the city grew, these tanks started vanishing from the landscape, thanks to rampant encroachment. Those, which managed to survive the onslaught of urbanisation, have a vastly reduced water spread area. Now, a mere 11 tanks are left in and around Coimbatore. But, the channels that inter-link them remain blocked. Right from the Narasampathy tank to Valankulam, the water flow is being obstructed at various points. As a result, interlinking simply doesn't exist. In a bid to revive these tanks with a hoary past, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), in association with various organisations in the city, took up the issue of encroachments of tanks in 1992. The group moved the Madras High Court in 1998 challenging the encroachments on the Valankulam. "We are in the process of filing another set of cases against the encroachments.This time it will cover all the tanks in the Noyyal system," says Shashi Ghulati, Convenor of INTACH's Regional Chapter.
Now that enough damage has been done, what is the solution? "Once the encroachments are removed, the NGOs are ready to step in and desilt them. The government should first take the initiative by removing them," she pleads. "Only 50 per cent of the unique system exists now.
To protect the tanks, all the encroachments should be removed and the sluice gates repaired immediately. Then these tanks must be desilted," asserts V. Rajkumar, co-convenor of INTACH.
"Public apathy is the main reason for the present state of affairs. As a result what we have are abandoned tanks, which have become nobody's child," says C. M. Jayaraman, Vice President of Citizens' Voice Club, one of the organisations involved in the campaign against encroachment on tanks. "The degeneration started in the early 80's when tanks were converted into plots. There was not much consciousness about the likely implications," points out P. S. Gopalan, a former journalist. Mr. Rajkumar continues: "The Noyyal tank ensured that water table remained stable even if there was a drought for two consecutive years. A sustained effort is needed to set things right. Afforestation programmes in the catchment areas, strengthening of the bunds and weirs and creation of a Noyyal Water Development Authority (NWDA) can help to an extent."
And, what can the public do to improve things? "We can bring the system back to life by involving the local populace in the conservation efforts. Instead of government agencies doing the maintenance, these tanks can be left to kudimaraamatthu (public maintenance)" Mr. Rajkumar adds.
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