The Wadakkanchery Puzha, which was on the verge of death, is getting a fresh lease of life, thanks to rejuvenation efforts with the involvement of people.
The river, also known as the Vazhani river as it originates from the Vazhani forest, used to irrigate more than 2,500 hectares of agricultural land. As many as 368 streams were flowing into the 51.3-km river. Once the lifeline of an area of 760 sq km, the river was reduced to a sewage canal in many places due to encroachments and dumping of waste. Many of the streams, which used to feed the river, dried up. As the river dried up, wells and ponds, which used to get replenished by its water also went dry.
The silt deposited during the two floods aggravated the situation. The rejuvenation mission by a people’s movement aims at removing the garbage and silt deposited during the floods and clearing the encroachments.
Streams too
Along with people, voluntary organisations, political parties, workers’ unions, traders and cultural leaders joined hands in the efforts to rejuvenate the river. The trees blocking the flow of water will also be removed. The project will also strengthen the water flow in the streams and protect the riverbed. Efforts are on to evict around 10 acres of encroachments on the river. A survey for it has already been done.
Minister A.C. Modieen, Anil Akkara, MLA, Wadakkanchery Municipal chairperson Sivapriya Santhosh and other leaders are supporting the move. The government has allocated ₹10 crore to rejuvenate streams reaching the river to ensure flow of water through it.
Hundreds of loads of silt deposited in the river has been removed. People participate in the mission in different ways. Some provide food to the workers and some others are filling diesel to the JCB and vehicles removing sand.
