It is a rare happy story in an age of environmental crisis.
Five years ago, a motley group of volunteers set out on a mission to reverse the historical barriers to the various river systems in Kottayam that disconnected these waterbodies from one another and from their floodplains.
It was a small start to a monumental task, but the transformation has been far more rapid and dramatic than they had thought of.
Within the first few months, the three major rivers that course down the region—the Meenachil, Meenanthara and Kodoor—showed signs of reviving their old connections through multiple channels. A corresponding revival of the surrounding wetlands also helped the wider landscape to absorb the effects of the annual floods.
Realising its significance in managing the future impacts of climate change, government departments soon chipped in with support. And five years down the line, the mission has succeeded in restoring canals that together run about 1,600 kilometres, besides paddy cultivation in about 5,600 acres and developing local tourism destinations in a handful of locations.
Over the period, it has also brought laurels to Kottayam with recognitions on multiple occasions from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the State government.
“The project is being executed through an aggregation of several microlevel activities that vary from constitution of local collectives to developing local tourism destinations. The works are only half done as we have another 1,400-km-long canals and 5,000 acres of paddy land for restoration,’‘ explains K. Anil Kumar, convener of the Meenachil-Meenathara-Kodoor river re-linking initiative.
As the programme is set to enter its sixth year, Mr. Anil Kumar says the focus is now on balancing the cycles of water flow than mere restoration of the waterbodies. “This shift stems from the realisation that water and sediment move rapidly through the catchment of these modified systems, providing no buffer against droughts,” adds Mr. Anil Kumar.
According to Punnen Kurian, secretary of the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences, Kottayam, the evolution of the project as a government-people collaborative is one of its key successes. “Beyond restoring the watery roots of a region, it has progressed by ensuring convergence of actions by the government departments and volunteer groups for common good. Further, it also cultivated among the people a sense of ownership over the waterbodies in their neighborhood,’‘ he observes.
To mark its fifth anniversary, the collective is slated to organise a series of events from August 26. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, Cooperative Minister V.N. Vasavan, and T.N. Seema, coordinator, Nava Kerala Mission, are slated to attend the programme.
