Civilisations are established along the banks of rivers. The Noyyal river and its
interconnected tank and canal system, believed to have been originally built by the
Chalukya Cholas kings, was an efficient system that provided water transport, storage,
and maintained stable groundwater levels. Surplus water from the river spilt into the
canals and was channelled to the tanks, preventing flooding. The tanks were a major
factor in replenishing the ground water through the percolation of the subsoil water. As
urbanisation grew, the system was neglected and the number of functional tanks was
drastically reduced. Restoration of the river to its original glory and generating
awareness about the lifeline of the city is an aspiring endeavour of Siruthuli.
A landmark
procession was organised to make the citizens aware of the once glorious akshaya
patra of Coimbatore and to make people aware of the original path.
On October 2nd, 2005, Coimbatore witnessed an extraordinary march. Nearly 1,00,000
people walked a 30-km stretch as a pledge to revive the Noyyal, once the lifeline of this
Kongu belt. The spontaneous turnout for the Noyyal Yatra confirmed that a people's
movement to conserve water resources was gathering momentum. Organised on
Gandhi Jayanthi, it was compared to Gandhiji's Dandi March. A portrait of the Mahatma
on a float had the line: " It was Dandi March then for rights. Today, it is the Noyyal Yatra
for life."
The yatra involved thousands of volunteers from schools, colleges , various groups and
organisations and brought together several citizens of all walks of life to understand the
lifeline of the Kongu region. The journey began from Kooduthurai and went up to
Singanallur near Perks school where the Noyyal crosses the city limit. The yatra was
well planned and executed dividing the entire course into ten legs, allowing people from
each locality to participate providing a chance for everyone to contribute to
understanding the river. The citizens showered their love with tokens of fruits, water and
snacks as they marched along the journey. This historic event, etched in the memories
of thousands of people, succeeded in generating awareness of the mighty river’ origin
and course and encouraged people to participate in the movement.
