Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power

  • July 20, 2023
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power

Subject: Geography

Section: Rives in news

Context:

  • In recent years, the Thamirabarani river in Tamil Nadu has been polluted with sewage and solid waste rendering the water unfit for drinking or fishing.

Details:

  • The Nellai Neervalam project, an initiative by the district authorities and the local community, has been conducting citizen-driven cleaning and biodiversity mapping of water bodies, including Thamirabarani river.
  • The project has digitally mapped over 1,200 water bodies in 2021, which facilitates easier identification, streamlines cleaning activities and enhances the overall water ecosystem management.

About the Thamirabarani river:

  • Thamirabarani is the only perennial river in south India that flows through the districts of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
  • Originating from the Pothigai hills of Western Ghats, the life-giving river dribbles, sprints and gallops for about 128 kilometres along the southern edge of the country.
  • It originates and ends in the same state (Tamil Nadu).
  • The river is deeply connected to the lives, livelihoods and culture of the people in the state.
  • The river supports wildlife such as the Nilgiri marten, slender loris, lion-tailed macaque, white spotted bush frog, galaxy frog, Sri Lankan Atlas moth and the great hornbill.

Concern:

  • The river has been polluted with untreated or poorly treated industrial waste and domestic sewage, and solid waste such as clothes and plastics, rendering the water unfit for drinking or fishing.

Rivers of Tamilnadu:

  • Kaveri, Thenpennai, Palar, are the three largest rivers of Tamil Nadu followed by Vaigai River, Noyyal River, Cheyyar River, Then Pennai, Vellar River (Northern Tamil Nadu), Vellar River (Southern Tamil Nadu), Moyar River, Pampar River, Bhavani River, Thamirabarani River, Vaippar River are the major rivers in Tamil Nadu.

Major rivers of Tamilnadu

RiverDescription
Cauvery
  • Originates at Talacauvery in the Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu (Coorg). Coorg is a district in Karnataka in the Western Ghats.
  • About 416 Km of its course falls in Tamil Nadu.
  • It serves as a boundary between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for a distance of 64 Km.
  • Cauvery river forms Hogenakkal waterfalls in Dharmapuri district.
  • In the Tiruchirappalli district, the river branches into two parts. The northern branch is called Kollidam or Coleroon. The southern branch remains Cauvery. From here, the Cauvery delta starts.
  • Tributaries: Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati, harangi, hemavati, shipshape, Arkavati, Lakshmantirtha, Kabbani, Suvarnavati.
Palar
  • The Palar river rises beyond Talagavara village in the Kolar district of Karnataka. The Palar drains an area of 17,871 sq. km, out of which nearly 57% lies in Tamil Nadu and the rest in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Ponnai, Goundinya Nadhi, Malattar, Cheyyar, and Kiliyar are its major tributaries. Its total length is 348 km, out of which 222 km of its course falls in Tamilnadu.
  • Palar flows through the districts of Vellore and Kancheepuram. Finally, it enters the Bay of Bengal near Kuvattur.
Thenpennai/ Thenponaiyar/ Ponnaiyar/ Pennaiyar river
  • Thenpennaiyar originates from the eastern slope of NandiDurga hills in eastern Karnataka and drains an area of 16,019 sq. km, of which nearly 77% lies in Tamil Nadu.
  • This river flows for a distance of 247 km in the southeasterly direction in the districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, and Villupuram.
  • Thenpennaiyar branches into two viz. Gadilam and the Ponnaiyar near Tirukoilur Anaicut. Gadilam joins the Bay of Bengal near Cuddalore and Ponnaiyar near Puducherry. Chinnar, Markandanadhi, Vaniar, and Pambar are its tributaries.
Vaigai river
  • Vaigai river rises from the eastern slopes of the Varusanadu hills of the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. It drains an area of 7741 sq. km, which lies entirely in the state of Tamil Nadu.
  • It flows through the districts of Madurai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram. Its length is 258 km. It discharges its water into the Ramnad big Tank and some other small tanks. The tank surplus water is finally released into Palk Strait near Ramanathapuram.
Geography Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power