The torrential downpour we experience as a result of those cycle of low pressure belts over the Bay of Bengal and the resulting conventional rainfall over much of TN has brought a temporary relief over water bodies that were depleted and half full due to a below average "rainfall" that the South west monsoon brought with it. Though the water bodies are refilling as fast as they can during these torrential downpours, the question is still out on how are we going to fare during the next summer? what if the monsoon performs below average next time too?
Summer is fast approaching and the States of the south will get ready for another round of tussle. The Dams water holdings are depleting faster and we are looking anxiously on how the governments are going to manage the situation when the temperatures soar and the thirst for water runs out of control. There is a persistent problem with regard to the Kavery Water sharing. The major problem is the public apathy towards the necessity of water conservation and the abuse of water bodies in all the States.
The amount of rainfall in Monsoons, if conserved in Dams, tanks and lakes will give enough water for the reminder of 8-9 months of dryness.
As of now some immoral and illegal encroaching of the water bodies in many areas of both the states has contributed to the increased demand of water from areas which are previously not dependent on Kavery.
I have two examples here,
The vanishing lakes of Bangalore. Bangalore was referred to as "Land of thousand lakes" (or some equivalent) by a British official in the 19th Century. But now many of the Lakes that dotted Bangalore area has vanished to the constant encroaching and abuse by constructors and Land mafia. And many of the Surviving Lakes are just serving as sewage drains as their natural tributaries and distributaries were all cut off and are now only fed by Rain water and Sewage. For Example one can go to the Varthur Lake near White field area and See how the Lake is breathing its last. The lake is serving the purpose of sewage drain and much of its surface is covered by water weeds. This lake should have been the Lifeline of Agriculture in and Around Varthur as well serving to the water needs of the White Field area. But now the Whitefield survives on Bore wells and a occasional Kavery Water.
Second, The Tamils of the past have had a great water conservation science. Often in the news we read about the Veeranam project supplying water to Chennai. This Lake was built by Chola emperors in the 10th Century AD and uses the Excess water flow in Kollidam (North Kavery) during the Monsoons and it provides irrigation for the majority of the year. Now this lake is silted and holds very less water than its actual capacity. This is one Lake on the Banks of Kavery. We need to build more and more Lakes and tanks to store the Excess flow during the monsoons. For example, For three continuous days in the monsoon period of 2008, the discharge from Mettur dam was peaking at 100000 Cusecs, this translates into 25 TMC of water. This could have been effectively stored in Tanks and Lakes.
Case of the Tributaries. The Bhavani river in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu is one of the most extensively exploited river (Positively) As it serves for Irrigating the north western kongu region as a Whole and Serves water to Kavery Delta during the Dry seasons (Mostly to enhance the Ground water levels) and serves the needs of the municipalities in that region. The Mismanagement and Abuse of Noyyal River south of Bhavani, is pressurizing the Bhavani river system.
Noyyal River a perennial River in TN, is a perfect example of River Abuse and is a dead river already. The Garments industry in Tirupur and Coimbatore pollute the river with Dying effluents that has Killed the River. There is a Dam at Oraththupalayam in the Karur District of Tamil Nadu and this dam is completely filled with the Dying effluents of Tirupur. Now there is a ray of hope with the High court ruling on the operations of the Dying units, this has made it mandatory to have RO plants in the Dying factories and this has caused the temporary downfall of Tirupurs Garment industry and now only the plants with RO are operational. If Noyyal is restored, we can add more land under irrigation and can serve water to the Delta regions needs.
The drinking water requirements of the Municipalities and the Corporations of the Kongu region are dependent on the Bhavani River to a great extant. this cannot be over ruled. But we can implement Sewage water recycling in all the Municipalities and use the purified water for industrial usage or pump it into the rivers. This can save water and the water bodies from getting polluted and save the much needed water for future. There is a sewage river that flows out of Bangalore in to the Hosur region of TN. this pollutes the Ground water of the Krishnagiri district of TN. The sewage and industrial effluents pumped into Bhavani, Noyyal and Kavery pollute the Entire Kongu belt. We should not allow Sewage and Industrial effluents to flow into the Rivers and Lakes, Instead we should set up a network of sewage Water treatment plants across Bangalore, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Mysore, Tiruchi and pump the purified water into the rivers and lakes. This will help us to improve the Ground water levels of the River basin and serve for irrigating the downstream areas. Also this many sewage plants will be a great infra project to execute and will develop many new jobs and will help in achieving a all round growth.
I was born in Tirupur of Tamil Nadu and grew up in Tirupur, Gobi and Sathy, and had my education in Tirupur, Udumalai, Sathy, komarapalayam and Salem. Started my career in Coimbatore and is currently living and working in Bangalore.
I wish the Kavery river system should be taken up as National project for water conservation. If we can build Sewage treatment plants in all the municipalities and Corporations in the Kavery Basin, Build tanks and dig Lakes wherever geography and geology permits, build check dams to enhance the ground water of the Areas adjoining the river basin, Reclaim the polluted and destroyed water bodies, regulate buildings along the banks of the water bodies throughout the Kavery basin, reach to a constructive agreement of water sharing across the four states, promoting more economical irrigation practices deviating from the water intensive rice and Sugarcane farming to water saving which demands more water, we can once for all eliminate this problem and carry forward the Legacy of the perennial productivity that Kavery River has yielded in conserving the culture of South India and Tamil Nadu in particular.
Summer is fast approaching and the States of the south will get ready for another round of tussle. The Dams water holdings are depleting faster and we are looking anxiously on how the governments are going to manage the situation when the temperatures soar and the thirst for water runs out of control. There is a persistent problem with regard to the Kavery Water sharing. The major problem is the public apathy towards the necessity of water conservation and the abuse of water bodies in all the States.
The amount of rainfall in Monsoons, if conserved in Dams, tanks and lakes will give enough water for the reminder of 8-9 months of dryness.
As of now some immoral and illegal encroaching of the water bodies in many areas of both the states has contributed to the increased demand of water from areas which are previously not dependent on Kavery.
I have two examples here,
The vanishing lakes of Bangalore. Bangalore was referred to as "Land of thousand lakes" (or some equivalent) by a British official in the 19th Century. But now many of the Lakes that dotted Bangalore area has vanished to the constant encroaching and abuse by constructors and Land mafia. And many of the Surviving Lakes are just serving as sewage drains as their natural tributaries and distributaries were all cut off and are now only fed by Rain water and Sewage. For Example one can go to the Varthur Lake near White field area and See how the Lake is breathing its last. The lake is serving the purpose of sewage drain and much of its surface is covered by water weeds. This lake should have been the Lifeline of Agriculture in and Around Varthur as well serving to the water needs of the White Field area. But now the Whitefield survives on Bore wells and a occasional Kavery Water.
Second, The Tamils of the past have had a great water conservation science. Often in the news we read about the Veeranam project supplying water to Chennai. This Lake was built by Chola emperors in the 10th Century AD and uses the Excess water flow in Kollidam (North Kavery) during the Monsoons and it provides irrigation for the majority of the year. Now this lake is silted and holds very less water than its actual capacity. This is one Lake on the Banks of Kavery. We need to build more and more Lakes and tanks to store the Excess flow during the monsoons. For example, For three continuous days in the monsoon period of 2008, the discharge from Mettur dam was peaking at 100000 Cusecs, this translates into 25 TMC of water. This could have been effectively stored in Tanks and Lakes.
Case of the Tributaries. The Bhavani river in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu is one of the most extensively exploited river (Positively) As it serves for Irrigating the north western kongu region as a Whole and Serves water to Kavery Delta during the Dry seasons (Mostly to enhance the Ground water levels) and serves the needs of the municipalities in that region. The Mismanagement and Abuse of Noyyal River south of Bhavani, is pressurizing the Bhavani river system.
Noyyal River a perennial River in TN, is a perfect example of River Abuse and is a dead river already. The Garments industry in Tirupur and Coimbatore pollute the river with Dying effluents that has Killed the River. There is a Dam at Oraththupalayam in the Karur District of Tamil Nadu and this dam is completely filled with the Dying effluents of Tirupur. Now there is a ray of hope with the High court ruling on the operations of the Dying units, this has made it mandatory to have RO plants in the Dying factories and this has caused the temporary downfall of Tirupurs Garment industry and now only the plants with RO are operational. If Noyyal is restored, we can add more land under irrigation and can serve water to the Delta regions needs.
The drinking water requirements of the Municipalities and the Corporations of the Kongu region are dependent on the Bhavani River to a great extant. this cannot be over ruled. But we can implement Sewage water recycling in all the Municipalities and use the purified water for industrial usage or pump it into the rivers. This can save water and the water bodies from getting polluted and save the much needed water for future. There is a sewage river that flows out of Bangalore in to the Hosur region of TN. this pollutes the Ground water of the Krishnagiri district of TN. The sewage and industrial effluents pumped into Bhavani, Noyyal and Kavery pollute the Entire Kongu belt. We should not allow Sewage and Industrial effluents to flow into the Rivers and Lakes, Instead we should set up a network of sewage Water treatment plants across Bangalore, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Mysore, Tiruchi and pump the purified water into the rivers and lakes. This will help us to improve the Ground water levels of the River basin and serve for irrigating the downstream areas. Also this many sewage plants will be a great infra project to execute and will develop many new jobs and will help in achieving a all round growth.
I was born in Tirupur of Tamil Nadu and grew up in Tirupur, Gobi and Sathy, and had my education in Tirupur, Udumalai, Sathy, komarapalayam and Salem. Started my career in Coimbatore and is currently living and working in Bangalore.
I wish the Kavery river system should be taken up as National project for water conservation. If we can build Sewage treatment plants in all the municipalities and Corporations in the Kavery Basin, Build tanks and dig Lakes wherever geography and geology permits, build check dams to enhance the ground water of the Areas adjoining the river basin, Reclaim the polluted and destroyed water bodies, regulate buildings along the banks of the water bodies throughout the Kavery basin, reach to a constructive agreement of water sharing across the four states, promoting more economical irrigation practices deviating from the water intensive rice and Sugarcane farming to water saving which demands more water, we can once for all eliminate this problem and carry forward the Legacy of the perennial productivity that Kavery River has yielded in conserving the culture of South India and Tamil Nadu in particular.
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