A proposal submitted by Siruthuli for restoration of Noyyal river, its canals and tanks are under active consideration of the Government, official sources said.
Chairman of Siruthuli S.V. Balasubramanian and Project Co-ordinator K. Mayilsamy submitted a proposal to the Minister for Public Works Department K.V. Ramalingam.
The Government which had planned measures to conserve water bodies and rivers was said to be actively considering the proposal.
Siruthuli that originates in the Western Ghats in the Booluvampatti and Vellingiri hills starts from Semmedu.\
Inflow
It has inflow from a cluster of small rivers such as Chinnar, Periyar, Neelivaikal and Kanchimaanadhi, and runs through undulating plains towards east for 160 km through Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur districts and joins River Cauvery.
The river system has 28 tanks storing water acting as flood water moderators and also serving as storm water drains.
The system accounted for 1,450 km length of canals. With 20 anaicuts, the system initially catered to the irrigation needs of 15,897 acres in a district where average rainfall was 690 mm every year.
Contribution from South West Monsoon towards storage effectively happens only for 35 to 40 days and North East monsoon for 27 to 32 days, effectively accounting for only 25 to 450 cusecs per day, provided there was no monsoon failure.
The storage in the Noyyal river system tanks was only 35 to 50 per cent during the last year and it went down to less than 5 to 10 per cent during the current year.
Due to mismanagement and extensive wear and tear for a long period, the system is almost defunct at present.
The river is highly polluted due to agricultural, industrial and residential encroachments. It has become a sewage disposal facility for Corporation, hospital waste, dyeing and chemical industries.
Rapid urbanisation, infrastructure development and mushrooming growth in industries and other infrastructure developments directly led to a large number of people encroaching upon the water body, the proposal pointed and highlighted the pertinent and immediate need for restoring the system.
The existing water supply systems in Coimbatore i.e., Siruvani and Pilloor now functioning to cater to drinking water needs Coimbatore take care of only 50 per cent of the needs and for the rest of the needs for domestic and industrial purposes, exploitation of ground water resources continue.
Out of the total need of two millions, the total water requirement will be to the order of 200 mld but the two schemes provide only 120 mld effectively, the report added.
The cost of restoration was likely be Rs. 100 crore to Rs. 135 crore.
The proposal by Siruthuli is based on a detailed and in-depth ‘analysis transact’ walk and interaction with beneficiary group helped to identify gaps that need to be filled immediately.
The rehabilitation of Noyyal does not involve any land acquisition or any other statutory clearances.
Work includes demarcation of boundaries and fixing of survey stones and subsequent measures towards removal of encroachments.
The proposal envisages restoration of the vital infrastructure in order to improve the irrigation efficiency of this old system so as to bridge the gap in the ayacut.
It would include strengthening of the bund, repairs/ replacement of shuts/ sluices and surplus weirs, strengthening of foreshore and protection of channel embankments.
Formation of motorable inspection track, access roads and service roads to the Noyyal river for its close monitoring, construction of river bed erosion control structures at selective places and bank protections so as to check the erosion of river bed and its banks during flood seasons.
The proposal by the Siruthuli’s Technical Advisory Committee recommendations, the suggestions and guidelines issued by the Design Research and Construction Support Wing of the Water Resource Organisation (WRO) of the PWD.
District level steering committee constituted by the Collector has commenced the work.
The Collector had ordered removal of encroachments in the Noyyal river and to restore it to its original status.
Four teams are on the job to demarcate and fix boundaries of the river.
Siruthuli in association with WRO of PWD commenced the work on June 10 and has completed its assigned task for 40 km from the starting point of the river till Singanallur.
If the sanction for the entire restoration comes through it will revive the water resource potential in the district benefitting agriculture besides recharging the ground water resources for other purposes.
Meanwhile the PWD has already prepared a Project Report for restoration of Noyyal river that runs through Tirupur district and is expected to commence the work soon.
