Vaigai needs a thorough cleaning from the hills to the sea

Vaigai river faces pollution issues due to sewage and waste, impacting wildlife and cultural significance, urging conservation efforts.

Trickling down the Varushanad hills near Valipparai village in Theni district, Vaigai river begins to take shape. Here, the water rippling over smooth pebbles on the riverbed is crystal clear. Fit for drinking, say the villagers and the team from Madurai Nature Cultural Foundation (MNCF), who were on a survey mission, drank the cool and sweet water before a sample was taken for testing.

Within 24 hours, the test was done at Water Quality Testing Laboratory, Water Watch Centre, The DHAN Academy, Madurai, and the result was shocking. As per the Central Pollution Control Board, water quality has been classified into A, B, C, D, and E category. The water taken from Valipparai was of D grade, which means it is fit only for wildlife and fisheries. This came as a shock for the MNCF people who were on a six-day continuous study from August 28 to September 2, right after the end of south west monsoon season when there was water flow in the river.

Apart from chemical fertilizers being used in the coffee plantation in the region, another major factor for contamination were the villagers themselves. Valipparai has conservancy workers, but no place to dispose of the waste. The garbage collected is heaped near the river and with no Under Ground Drainage (UGD) scheme, sewage is let into the river. This place is home to smooth coated otter, which as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a vulnerable species. But as pollution level rises, will the otter still call this place home, is a question.

The Vaigai river basin covers an area of 7,009.13 sq km. It originates from Varushanadu valley and flows northwards through Kandamanayakkanur. Numerous tributaries like Theniyar that joins Suruliyar joins the Vaigai near Kottaipatti. Thereafter, Vaigai flows east and then takes the south east direction till it joins Bay of Bengal. Varattar, Nagalar, Varahanadhi, Manjalar, Marudhanadhi, Sirumaliar and Sathayar that originate in Palani hills are the main tributaries that join Vaigai along its course. Uppar river originates in the Alagar hills and joins Vaigai near Manamadurai. The length of Vaigai river up to Ramanathapuram big tank is 266.71 km and from Ramanathapuram big tank to the sea it is 28.40 km. The total length of the river from its origin to sea is about 295.11 km.

As pointed out by an expert from Dhan Foundation, the river is seasonal. The flowing period can be said to be about four months in a year and this too depends on climatic conditions and rainfall in the catchment areas. After Vaigai dam was built and the parallel Periyar canal was established, the flow of water has been diverted to the canal thus resulting in less flow in the river. This creates a unique problem, especially when one takes into account the pollution level in the river as sewage stagnation is more during most of the months when there is nil flow.

The river course has urban settlements like Madurai, Cumbum, Uthamapalayam, Bodinayakkanur, Theni, Periyakulam, Manamadurai, Paramakudi and Ramanathapuram and also a large number of rural settlements that are highly populated.

Some of the settlements have no Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and some like Madurai that have STPs do not function to its full capacity. Fingers are pointed at unfinished UGDs in almost all these areas that have led to untreated sewage being let into the river. The MNCF team has identified 197 pipes or canals bringing sewage into Vaigai at 177 spots from Valipparai village to Attrankarai  in Ramanathapuram district where Vaigai joins the sea. As a result, out of the 36 samples collected by MNCF - 31 were collected in Vaigai river, 1 each in Suruliyar, Manjalar and Varahanadhi - nearly five samples from Vaigai river were below E grade and those collected from Suruli, Varahanadhi and Manjalar were D grade.