Farmers in the region have approached the State Government with a plea for formation of monitoring committees in each of the four districts: Erode, Tirupur, Coimbatore and Karur, for reviving Noyyal River, traversing to a length of 160 km. Wholesome involvement A representation made to the Chief Secretary by Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, in the wake of the launch of Noyyalai Nokki project last month by Noyyal River Restoration Federation involving farmers and stake holders, said restoration of the vital water body required wholesome involvement of the Water Resources Organisation wing of Public Works Department, Pollution Control Board, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, and Revenue, Electricity, Forest, and Industries Departments. Farmers in Erode district, where the river passes through Chennimalai and Kodumudi blocks to a length of about 65 km, have been mobilised under the aegis of Olirum Erodu Foundation to accelerate campaign for safeguarding the river and its tributaries, said Logusamy, district-level organising secretary of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam. Farmers’ organisations have proposed to start off with removal of prosopis juliflora and other wild shrubs, before carrying out desiltation and seeing through eviction of encroachments from the catchment areas through the government support. The idea of the farming community and stake holders is to utilise the expertise and resources of the Forest Department to raise bamboo and palm trees along the embankments and creating greenery in the catchment area under social forestry scheme. Farmers say the support of TWAD and TNPCB is as much important for preventing flow of sewage and industrial effluent into the river. Mechanisms must be put in place to test the water quality at specific locations and at check dams along the water course, the farmers emphasised.