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The REVIVAL act
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Three tanks in the city, part of the Noyyal river system, have been cleaned up. The revival process has generated hope that sustained efforts can bring the unique system back to life, writes M. ALLIRAJAN
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IT'S DIFFERENT. Anyone travelling along the stretch of road that leads to Vedapatti is bound to think this way. Sprawling tanks on either side of the road greet your eyes, which were used to seeing thickets and bushes. This has been possible, thanks to a public initiative project that has just been completed here. One that promises to restore the unique system of tanks and canals in Coimbatore, once a vital part of the Noyyal river civilisation.
It is virtually a `revival process'. Project Siruthuli, which is working to revitalise the tanks in the city, has desilted and de-weeded the Chithiraichavadi canal and Krishnampathy, Selvampathy and Kumarasamy tanks in the first phase. Thanks to its efforts, the tanks are now all cleaned up and ready to receive water.
Though there is no water flowing into these tanks at present, the work done on them is visible. The bunds have been strengthened and blocks in the canals removed. It is easy to get carried away in the thought that all is well. But, one cannot miss the larger picture here. On the other side of the Chithiraichavadi canal, rows and rows of withering areca nut and coconut trees wait for life-giving water. They might not survive another drought.
"It never used to be this bad," say the farmers, who were consulted by Project Siruthuli from the word go. Not long ago, the open wells in the area had plentiful water, which could be drawn with just a bucket tied to a rope. And, there was a time when eager young boys fished in these tanks.
Now, there is not a drop of water in most of the wells. It is the farmers living in the periphery of the tanks who are bearing the brunt. Subramanian, a farmer in the area used to grow rice in his field near the Narasampathy tank. He did not have an open well or bore well, but used water from the tank for cultivation.
Even those who have wells are not in a position to go in for cash crops. Left with no other choice, many raised rainfed crops while a few abandoned hopes of carrying on with agricultural operations. The groundwater has depleted so much that sinking bore wells is an unfeasible proposition.
"There was plenty of water in the tanks. So, we never had a problem raising crops. However, during the last three years, the tanks have not received adequate water," says Govindan, a farmer. What went wrong? It is not just the failure of monsoons that is to blame.
The rainwater simply did not flow into these tanks. All along the course, at various points, the channels leading to the tanks had been blocked. These have since been cleared.
And, though there has not been much rainfall from the South-West monsoon this year, there is hope. "Earlier, nobody noticed the existence of tanks. So the tanks were grossly misused. And Coimbatore had to pay a big price in the form of an acute water shortage," says Vanitha Mohan, Managing Trustee of Siruthuli.
"This problem would not have arisen if proper water harvesting systems were in place. Even with 450 mm of rainfall a year, which is below average, the tanks would have filled up," points out M. Ramakrishnan, Project Coordinator of Siruthuli.
All the 39 sluice gates along the 11.5 km stretch of the Chithiraichavadi canal were damaged. "Though the rainfall was scanty, water flowed till the 20th sluice. But, due to the damages in the sluices and blocks in the canals, it did not proceed further," he says.
In less than three months, three tanks and the canal have been cleared. How does Project Siruthuli plan to ensure that the encroachers stay away from the cleaned tanks and that they are not misused?
"After completing the work, we will create a walkway around the tanks. The local populace will be involved in keeping them free of garbage," Ms. Mohan says. Lawns will be put in place and the entire stretch beautified so that garbage and debris are not dumped again.
According to officials at Siruthuli, an approximate 180.6 acres of water spread area in the three tanks has been cleared and desilted.
But, work does not end there. "The main objective is to revive the heritage associated with the tank system," Mr. Ramakrishnan observes. "The focus is also on afforestation in the catchment areas. We want to create a sense of ownership among the people living near these tanks. They will be entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the tanks," he says.
Is this enough? "The Government should support the initiative. Moreover, all the encroachments and blocks in the tanks and canals should be removed," says Shashi Ghulati, Convenor of INTACH's Regional Chapter.
Project Siruthuli has started work on the second phase, covering the rest of the tanks in the city.
Following requests from farmers, it plans to desilt the Narasampathy tank as well. "It will help irrigate 4000 acres," Ms Mohan says.
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