Vaigai in Madurai city have been identified and removed over the past two years following High Court directions, said Veera Kathiravan, Additional Advocate General III of Tamil Nadu and chairman of a committee appointed by the Madras High Court.
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PIC: k k sundarBy Jeyalakshmi RamanujamExpress News Service
MADURAI: From its origin on the Varusanadu Hills in Theni till its end in the great lake of Ramanathapuram, the Vaigai nurtures everything on its path. But, sand mining and pollution are threatening the very existence of this fabled river.
According to sources, sand mining has devastated the river’s ability to heal itself. “The river now lacks sufficient sand deposits to repair itself. What’s more, it’s 20 feet deep at several locations. This, coupled with climate change, is a major threat to the existence of the river and the city of Madurai, said R Seenivasan, Advisor, PRADAN Tank Programme, an NGO that carries out studies on rivers in India.
The immediate effect of riverbed deepening is felt on irrigation and water supply as the mouths of most canals are now above the riverbed. “Vaigai has 141 canals, most of which have already been destroyed owing of poor maintenance, affecting water supply,” said Seenivasan. Deepening of the river has also affected groundwater levels, which now lies at 500 feet below the surface.
As for pollution, the Vaigai starts getting polluted as it passes through Madurai City. Sewage and effluent flow directly into the river, sources said. Officials, however, said mitigation efforts have been taken. Sewage channels emptying into the Vaigai in Madurai city have been identified and removed over the past two years following High Court directions, said Veera Kathiravan, Additional Advocate General III of Tamil Nadu and chairman of a committee appointed by the Madras High Court.
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“Though sewage discharge into the Vaigai from Madurai city has been controlled, we have identified a similar problem in Paramakudi city. Officials have been instructed to establish a sewage treatment plant to address it,” he said.
Karthikeyan Karimuttu, Executive Engineer (PWD), Mulavaigai Basin, spoke about the various steps taken to restore water in Mulavaigai. The construction of a check dam at a cost of `4.2 crore would commence at Kadamalaikundu in February. Proposals to construct two more check dams at Valliparai (Varusanadu) and Solaidevan have been sent to the State government, he said.
M Rajan, Coordinator of Vaigai Nadhi Makkal Iyyakkam, said roads on both sides of the river have narrowed it in Arapalayam and near the Thiagarajar Arts College in Madurai city. Two check dams have also been constructed in Opulapadithurai in violation of hydrology rules. These are causing floods and traffic congestion in the localities, he said. “Also, sand is being mined at Villangudi and transported in bullock carts. Officials are turning a blind eye to this issue,” he said.
But, V Sugumaran, Executive Engineer of PWD, WRO, Periyar-Vaigai Basin Division, refuted that sand is being mined at Villangudi in Madurai, but assured he would check. Ahead of World Rivers Day on September 26, TNIE looks at the problems plaguing the rivers flowing through TN.
2,222 tanks
Receive water from the Vaigai river as it meanders 250 kilometers via five districts
17L ACRES
Vaigai flows for 250km covering Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, and Sivaganga before emptying into the Ramnad Kanmai, which, in turn, enters the Bay of Bengal at Devipattinam. Along its course, the river irrigates around 17 lakh acres of agricultural land
Inscriptions
Inscription belonging to the eighth century describe how Vaigai water was used for cultivation. Many literary works from the Sangam era, including Pari padal Madurai Kanji, describe the benevolence and the beauty of the Vaigai with geographical evidence
