Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power

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