Chennai: Governor Banwarilal Purohit said linking up the Godavari to the Cauvery for transferring the surplus water will therefore bring immense benefit to Tamilnadu.
Speaking at the Cauvery Calling event organised by Isha Foundation at Centenary Auditorium, Madras University here Sunday, he said, “The delta areas are extremely fertile and have very high levels of productivity with the potential to grow food crops for three seasons in a year if sufficient water is made available. Interlinking of the rivers will bring nearly 1100 tmc feet of surplus water from the Godavari to the Cauvery.”
He further said our ancestors knew the practice of sustainable development which is the reason India has had a continuing civilisation for more than 5,000 years.
The Cauvery Calling (Cauvery Kookural), two-wheeler rally, organised by Isha Foundation founder Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, to revitalize river Cauvery, the lifeline of farmers in delta districts, reached Chennai Sunday.
Cauvery Calling is a movement to revitalize river Cauvery and was launched by the Sadguru in July. The rally, to consolidate support for the movement, is currently underway.
Having just concluded its Karnataka leg, the rally entered Tamilnadu 11 September beginning its journey from Hosur and reached here last evening. A uniquely modelled movement, Cauvery Calling primarily focuses on significantly enhancing farmer income while simultaneously impacting river flow and riverine ecosystems.
It will enable farmers in Tamilnadu and Karnataka to plant 242 crore trees in the Cauvery basin by adopting agroforestry on their own farmlands. In Tamilnadu 69,670 farmers have taken to agroforestry through Isha Agroforestry and have reported significant rise in their income.
The rally led by Sadhguru began its journey at Talacauvery, the birthplace of the river in Karnataka, on 3 September. The rally will culminate in Coimbatore 17 September.
Apart from Governor, Isha Foundation founder Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development Implementation of Special Programmes S P Velumani, Apollo Hospitals founder Dr Prathap C Reddy, actress Suhasini Maniratnam and Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan, participated.
Govt to plant saplings along Cauvery basin: CM
Speaking at the event Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said, ‘To increase afforestation in the State, a mass tree plantation project had been launched by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
A total of 4.69 crore trees have been planted since 2011. To protect the bio-diversity of the Cauvery and its branches and to keep it clean, we are planting saplings at the river basin. I will ensure our government takes steps to protect Bhavani, Vaigai, Amaravathi and Thamirabarani rivers,’ he said.
Jaggi Vasudev’s appeal to CM
Isha Foundation founder Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev said planting and raising saplings in 85,000 sqkm Cauvery basin will help in saving 9 to 12 trillion litres of water.
He said at present 80 per cent of lands are owned by farmers in the country. “When they grow trees in their land, the country will benefit,” he added.
He also appealed to the State government to give subsidy to the farmers who express their willingness to participate in the Cauvery Calling campaign.