Noyyal River

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The Noyyal River rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, southeastern India and drains into the Kaveri River. The river's basin is 180 km (112 mi) long and 25 km (16 mi) wide and covers a total area of 3,500 km² (1351 mi²). Cultivated land in the basin amounts to 1,800 km² (695 mi²) while the population density is 120 people per km² (311/mi²) in the countryside, and 1000 people per km² (2590/mi²) in the cities. The area is known for its scanty rainfall and the development of the Noyyal River Tanks System to hold any overflow from the rains plus the water of the Northeast and Southwest monsoon season was ecologically important. The 173 km (107 mi) long tributary of the Kaveri River filled 32 tanks. These interconnecting tanks held the water flowing from the Noyyal.[1]

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[edit] Ecology

The township of Coimbatore once was surrounded by the Noyyal river and its canals, tanks, and rivulets. The Noyyal river and its interconnected tank and canal system, believed to have been originally built by the Chalukya Cholas kings, was then an efficient system that provided needed water transport and storage as well as maintining stable groundwater levels. Surplus water from the Noyyal river spilled into the canals and were channeled to the tanks, preventing unwanted flooding. The tanks were a major factor in replenishing the ground water through percolation of the subsoil water. As urbanisation grew, the system was neglected and the number of tanks was drastically reduced until only eleven tanks were left. Today the system no longer works and water is scarce. Agriculture has significantly decreased. Coconut tree lakhs, lacking irrigation water, have dried up. [2][3]

[edit] History

The "Noyyal" is a sacred river in Tamil history. Its original name was Kanchinadi but changed later to the name of the place where it drains into the Kaveri River in 1750 A.D.

The Noyyal village is situated at the banks of Noyyal River and Kaveri (Ponni) River where both the rivers merge. An ancient goddess Sellandiyamman temple is also situated at the place of sangamam. Noyyal village had played a vital role in the Kunnudayaa Gounder Koothu ( folklore of Kongu Vellala Gounders).

Coimbatore and its surroundings was known as the Kongunadu. Though during the supremacy of the Chera kings, Kongnadu was the heartland of the Cheras (Karur as their capital). Next came the Gangas (Kongas) with their capital in Dharapuram (Tarakapuri or Vijayaskandapuram). Then it fell under the later cholas and were under their control for a short time of five kings form Veerachozha to Rajaraja (Ref: கொங்கதேச ராஜாக்கள்). The heirs to the Cholas settled down in Coimbatore and continued to rule the country. The "Kongu" Cholas were soon defeated by the native Kongu vassals (கொங்கு பாளையக்காரர்) under the Hoysalas.Then Vijayanagara, Mysore and Dheeran ruled Kongu which afterwards (in 1805) was annexed by the British East India Company.

Successive dynasties established trade links with the Greeks and the Romans. Many trade routes criss crossed the basin. A number of temples and schools came up in the area. The Pateeshwarar Temple at Perur was built in line with Tamil architecture. Art flourished in the basin. Even today Natyanjali is held in Perur every year.

[edit] Pollution

The river flows with natural antibiotic minerals. As like the many other hazardous changes due to the lifestyle changes and change in culture, the "Noyyal" is also down to the way to dead. The neglect of the government and the concerned people is making the "Noyyal" a drainage water channel like many other life giving rivers. The " Nallaru" another river in Tiruppur area is also facing the same plight due to the huge concentration of cloth dyeing factories dumping their industrial wastes into the river. However from 2004 onwards ,efforts by local volunteers organization "Siruthuli" have been trying to conserve the water resource.

[edit] Geography

Periyar, the Cheyyar River and the Kanchimanadhi are the tributaries to the river. They all have their origins in the Western Ghats. Periar flows out of the Siruvani hills and the Kovai Kutralam, a land mark waterfalls. Chaadiaar or Cheyyar River flows through Chaadivayal and later along with the other rivers join up at Kooduthurai to become Noyyal River. After running through a distance of 160 km, Noyyal joins cauvery at Kodumudi in Erode District. The place is also called Noyyal. Apart from these three rivers, there are numerous rivulets that also join Noyyal. But most of these rivulets carry water only during the rainy season and therefore are not perennial. According to the available sources, the number of rivulets are 34.

The river has a valley fill (made of alluvial kankar soil) over a stretch of 25 km and a depth of 198 ft (60 m). It extends from the origin of the river at Kooduthurai (in Madhvarayapuram, 30 km west of the city) to the Ukkadam Tank on the city border. The fill absorbs water like a sponge. Only when the absorption reaches a saturation point does excess water flow to the suburbs and the city.

The river has 23 check dams. Most are located between Kooduthurai and Tirupur, 52 km east of Coimbatore city. Decades ago, it irrigated 3550 square kilometres. Noyyal revival over 40 km will enable irrigation of 165 square kilometres, according to Siruthuli.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ River Noyyal. rainwaterharvesing.org. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  2. ^ A glorious system in peril. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  3. ^ Reviving the tanks. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.

[edit] External links

The River Kaveri
Dams

Banasura Sagar Dam | Bangara Doddi Nala | Grand Anicut | Krishna Raja Sagara Dam | Madadkatte | Mettur Dam | Stanley Reservoir
Tributaries

Amaravati River | Arkavathy River | Bhavani River | Hemavati River | Honnuhole River | Kabini River |
Lakshmana Tirtha River | Lokapavani River | Noyyal River | Pambar River | Shimsha River
Cities and Towns

Karikal | Kodagu | Kollidam | Kushalanagara | Nagapattinam | Poompuhar | Srirangam | Srirangapatna | Talakad | Talakaveri | Thanjavur | Tiruchirapalli
Physical Features

Bay of Bengal | Deccan plateau | Hogenakal Falls | Shivanasamudra Falls | Western Ghats
Riparian States and
Union Territories

Karnataka | Kerala | Pondicherry | Tamil Nadu
Languages