Olirum Erodu Foundation has teamed up with Annai Cauvery River Protection Trust to carry out remediation of environmental pollution in the Cauvery River.
The two organisations have resolved to organise a ‘padayatra’ from Talacauvery on the Brahmagiri hill in Kodagu district, Karnataka, to Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu, on July 10 to create public awareness on the need for Central and State governments to earmark funds for Cauvery River Rejuvenation Project.
They have taken the expertise of Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to implement their action plan.
Pamphlets being distributed by the Trust lists a set of responsibilities of the governments that include a special drive for raising lakhs of trees in Brahmagiri range in Kodagu district for more rain at Talacauvery.
Stringent measures to prevent mixing of sewage and industrial pollutants into river water, strengthening of embankments and construction of check dams across the river to prevent draining of water accruing from monsoon rains into the sea; and formation of a separate ministry for safeguarding and developing Cauvery River.
Participants at the consultative meeting chaired by the vice-chairman of Olirum Erodu Foundation (OEF) D. Venkateswaran constituted Swami Ramananda, OEF chairman M. Chinnasamy; and secretary S. Ganesan, emphasised on allocation of money for Cauvery River development on the lines of the funds for purification of Ganges River.
A. Sridhar, Regional Project Officer (South India) with National Water Mission & Tata Institute of Social Sciences - Water Project, the special invitee for the meeting, joined other speakers in calling for nationalisation of rivers and linking of the rivers in the Southern States to begin with.
Suggestions for environmental remediation were also offered by historian Kaniyan Balan, coordinator of Erodai K. Sudakar, Secretary of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam Subbu, and organising secretary Logusamy.
