The Coonoor River

A phased attempt to revive this mountain stream to its past glory.

Water is the matter and matrix, mother and medium of life. Without water there’s no life.

‘We make deserts bloom but let waterbodies die.’

Quoting Jacques Yves Cousteau, the same is true of the Coonoor River and her three major feeders which flow through the town. They presently serve as an ignoble receptacle for all the flotsam and jetsam and the sewage, and sullage, generated in the township.

Based on the experience gained from cleaning up drains and culverts about town, Clean Coonoor with funds mobilised by Mrs. Rajashree our mentor from Hyderabad, a kilometre stretch of the middle stream which flows through the municipal market was de-silted.

This was Phase-1 of what would be a long drawn campaign. Flagged off on World Environment Day 2019, the operations which lasted for 42 days, employed both manual and mechanical means, and yielded some 12,000 tonnes of debris.

Success lent confidence and the organisation went ahead with Phase-2, which involved the upper stream which flows past an UNESCO Heritage Site, The Coonoor Railway Station.

Work on cleaning the upper stream of the river began on 22 September 2019, which happened to be World Rivers Day, and was brought to a conclusion on 17 October. Around 5 kilo tonnes of debris was removed and the stream which had an average width of 20 feet now flows at fifty.

Phase-3 involved mundane matters such as fencing up the parts which are prone to dumping, formulation of punitive deterrents, followup measures on subsequent silting, and such. These proceedings were largely taken up by the Municipal and District Officials.

The Organisation on its part is presently working with the municipal authorities to find ways and means to prevent raw untreated sewage from being emptied into the river, and with the administration to devise means to trap plastic debris which gets washed inside by the surface run off.

As Phase-4, the organisation has tied up with the olive-greens to keep clean the portion of the river which flows through the Cantonment of Wellington.

Phase-5 was held as part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2024. The exercise which aimed at a re-cleanup of the middle stream was funded by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and operations began on 28 September. A further 500 meters of hitherto untouched ground was widened using funds provided by ITACH Nilgiri Chapter and was brought to a conclusion on 08 October.

Phase-1

Phase-2

Phase-3

Phase-4

Phase-5

“In the time honoured litany of prayers offered at a Badaga funeral, absolution is besought (among many other acts of trespasses) for the SIN of humans even daring to cross the bank of any water course (let alone polluting it !) without paying obeisance to it. Respect for that kind of a “religion” is not there anymore. However, may your zealous mission regenerate this religion. God Bless you all.”

Rev. Philip K. Mulley

Antiquarian, Kotagiri

24 Sep 2019

Coonoor River’s Sorrow – Poem

Varada Menon, Oct, 17 2018

To the seven sacred rivers of India,
I am a sister
And I am weeping.
My tears are blocked;
I am jailed and tortured;
I cannot flow
With the wild abandon
as before.

I am filled with debris,
My song is almost stilled.
I weep silently.
No one sees my sorrow,
No one sees my tears
Or my fears.
They only see me as a means
To rid them of their waste.

I am so soiled, so neglected;
Save me please
Let me once again be
A flowing-free sister
Of Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswathi,
Brahmaputra, Narmada,
Godavari and Kaveri.
Let me not be still.

FAQs

What is river restoration?

River restoration is the process of managing rivers to reinstate natural processes to restore biodiversity, providing benefits to both people and wildlife. Reintroducing natural processes can reshape rivers to provide the diversity of habitats required for a healthy river ecosystem and ensure their long-term
recovery by addressing the root cause of the issue. Some rivers have been extensively modified to accommodate societal needs for food production, flood
protection and economic activity so it is not always possible or desirable to restore to a pristine condition. In this case, improvement of river structure and habitats within the adjacent constraints can increase overall biodiversity and mitigate some issues.

Why is river restoration important?

The fact that most towns and cities developed near rivers illustrates their importance to humans. Naturally functioning rivers and floodplains provide ample benefits to society including flood regulation, freshwater supply, tourism/recreation, water purification, carbon storage and improved human health. Many of these benefits, along with biodiversity and habitat, are compromised if rivers are modified.

How are rivers restored?

Ideally, to deliver multiple benefits to society and wildlife, river restoration should be considered at
catchment scale and prioritised as part of wider catchment plans.

River straightening, diverting and over-deepening has been common practice in the past, to create space for land development, enhance river navigation, improve land drainage and reduce flooding. Straightened channels generally lack flow and habitat diversity as their profile has been extensively
modified and their features have been removed. Straightening can increase the risk of flooding downstream as water moves faster through the modified section and increases discharge downstream. Remeandering reinstates a more natural course and river profile with the aim of improving habitat diversity and biodiversity.

If the banks have been reclaimed and developed, which is the case in most urban areas, it is often not feasible to make space for large-scale river restoration. If the river has concrete banks or bed, which is again often the case in urban areas, reinstating some natural processes within the river channel can be the next best option.

Where a barrier is no longer used for its initial purpose, there is a case for complete removal which would restore upstream and downstream connectivity.

How can I get involved

There are a number of ways to get involved in river restoration including practical works such as invasive species management or simple restoration techniques, chemical, biological and habitat monitoring which are important in identifying and understanding issues or recording the benefits of current projects.