Art of Living Starts Naganadi River Rejuvenation
WATER FLOWS AGAIN !
The Naganadi River, a tributary of the Palar River, was the life line of approximately 200 villages in Tiruvanamalai and Vellore districts, that ran dry a decade ago. The river route and bank covers 35 gram panchayats on its way to join the Palar in Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. Since 2014, The Art of Living has taken up the rejuvenation of Naganadi, as part of reivivng the entire 8000 sq km stretch of the now dry Palar.
Lakhs of hectares of paddy cultivation depended on 1965 lakes and 18 reservoirs and small dams, which have run dry. For the helpless farmers life became a constant struggle to make ends meet. The despair dragged them towards alcohol addiction and other vices.
Read This Also:Rally for Rivers Day – Sept 1
Research shows that the cause of the drying up of rivers is not failed monsoons but mismanagement and unchecked overuse of water year after year.
The Art of Living identified the feasible sites for river rejuvenation using the remote sensing and collateral data,prepared the water resource action plan to rejuvenate surface and ground water, provided maps for village level planning and implementation and provided the design for recharge structures & other activities.
The Art of Living worked to empower women of this area and made them successfully spearhead this project. Their synergistic efforts paid off when after desilting the river bed and other storage structures and the construction of boulder checks and recharge wells, for the first time in 15 years, the villagers saw the Naganadi flow after the first spate of rains.
Read This Also:Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna : A Step towards Restoring Delhi’s Lifeline
Shanthi, one of the many women who have been able to bring money home with the 100 days scheme of the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) said, “Since this project has come to our village, not only do we have sufficient water, but we’re also earning well through the 100 days scheme. Our farmers are also very happy as they’re now able to harvest upto three crops.”
The government is now taking up the program under the MNREGA.The MNREGA workers and their supervisors undergo a capacity building program conducted by The Art of Living that offers special training in river rejuvenation along with courses in yoga, pranayam and meditation. A part of the training cost and supplying the construction material is being funded by the government.
Achievements-
- rejuvenation work completed in 21 panchayats
- 60,000 people benefitted
- 8760 hectares of agricultural land reclaimed
- 340 recharge wells and 150 boulder checks to recharge ground water constructed
- 6 mt increase in ground water level
The Naganadi River rejuvenation project is one of the many projects run by The Art of Living, under the guidance of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and has been instrumental in reviving 30 rivers across 4 states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra-which has benefitted 3000 villages !
————————
Religion World is one and only indian website to give information of all religions. We are dedicated to present the religions. You can send any info, news, engagements and advice to us on – religionworldin@gmail.com – or you can WhatsApp on – 9717000666 – we are also on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.
