4 years down the road on its journey, Siruthuli gained the confidence of Coimbatoreans
that Siruthuli is here to stay and save the River Noyyal – more so the farmers who
benefitted the most by increased ground water levels. The upstream farmers
approached SIRUTHULI and requested for rejuvenation of the streams of the Noyyal to
ensure that the river gets back its perennial status.
They specifically requested for
rejuvenating the Nandangarai stream which was nowhere visible to the SIRUTHULI
team.
The mantra taught by Dr. Rajendra Singh was –
Where the water runs, make it walk! (by building check dams and arresting the speed)
Where it walks, make it stand ( in water bodies)
Where it stands, make it sit in the lap of Mother Earth ( through percolation)
Nandangarai is one of the major streams of River Noyyal.
“Seeing is believing” but team
Siruthuli did not see any water in the vicinity when the farmers put forth their plea for a
check dam. But trusting the farmer’s native knowledge, we decided to plunge headlong
into the stream. With the support of District Collector Shri .V.Palani kumar and
the Project Director of District Rural Development Authority(DRDA), we drew up a plan
for the construction of a check dam under the Self Sufficiency Scheme (SSS).
With a deep sense of belonging and gratitude for Mother Noyyal, Siruthuli was truly
excited, although apprehensive, about venturing into constructing a check dam, with no
prior experience. It was really encouraging to see many natural springs hidden under
the shrub jungles which were yielding water. A fair share of the budget went into
dewatering the entire area.
The construction of the check dam over the stream was
completed in 2008 just before the commencement of the North East monsoon. With the
onset of the monsoon, the farmers joyfully rejoiced when their dried borewells and open
wells stood gleaming with water, thanks to the perennially overflowing Nandangarai
check dam. Besides recharging the wells and serving as a water hole to the wild
animals in the adjoining reserve forests, more than 650 hectares of farm lands have
benefitted from the check dam.
The check dam site also has the unique distinction of celebrating the 80th birthday of
our guide and mentor Dr.APJ. Abdul Kalam, who planted a Jamun tree at the site to
commemorate the occasion. Today the tree stands tall as a testimony to the efforts that
Siruthuli has been making in the field of eco conservation and Dr Kalam’s blessings to
continue our eco mission.
After 13 years, to our consternation, the storage capacity of the check dam seemed to
have shrunk. Upon a detailed study, we found that more than half of the water
impounding area had been filled with silt brought in by the stream from the hills along
with the rain water. The local farmers also observed that the water levels in their wells
had dipped.
An appeal to the District Administration seeking permission for desilting the water body
was promptly sanctioned. Thanks to the sponsors – HDB Financial Services and Lucid
Imaging – the task of desilting the check dam was taken up. Working relentlessly night
and day, the task could be completed in record time. This time around we were wise
enough to construct gabion structures and a stone check dam – Kallanai – on the
streams to act as silt traps. These will help to remove the silt periodically.
The project also significantly increased the water spread area. The total capacity of the
check dam before desilting was 4906 cu.m and after desilting it is 7342 cu.m.
