Members of the Siruthuli team meet Union Minister Shri Bishweswar Tudu at Coimbatore International Airport to discuss the restoration of River Noyyal.
Coimbatore: In a significant meeting at Coimbatore International Airport on January 11, 2024, members of Siruthuli, a local environmental organization, met Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs, Shri Bishweswar Tudu. Rajesh Govindarajulu, representing Siruthuli, detailed regional demands concerning waterbodies and discussed the recent visit of Shri G Asok Kumar, Director General for the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
During the meeting, the Hon’ble Minister immediately contacted Ashok Kumar to confirm the details. The central focus was the proposal sent to the Central Government for a Rs. 990 crore project under the 'Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery' initiative, aimed at the restoration of River Noyyal, put forward by Coimbatore and Tiruppur city corporations. About 60% of the funding is expected to come from the National River Restoration Fund, managed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
A letter has been sent to the Government of Tamil Nadu Water Resources Secretary, Shri Sandeep Saxena, urging the state to contribute the remaining 40% of the project cost. A response is currently pending.
Rajesh Govindarajulu handed over various documents to the Minister, including a news articles, highlighting the region's waterbody concerns. The meeting was also attended by Dr. C K Saraswathi, MLA, Modakkurichi, and Shri Selvakumar.
The team also requested Shri Bishweswar Tudu to initiate a train service from Bhubaneswar to Coimbatore, for which he advised writing a formal request to the Minister for Railways.
In a related development, South Western Railway has announced special trains between Bangalore (Yesvantpur) and Thiruvananthapuram (Kochuveli) via Salem, Coimbatore, and Ernakulam, to accommodate the Pongal festival rush.
During the meeting, the Hon’ble Minister immediately contacted Ashok Kumar to confirm the details. The central focus was the proposal sent to the Central Government for a Rs. 990 crore project under the 'Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery' initiative, aimed at the restoration of River Noyyal, put forward by Coimbatore and Tiruppur city corporations. About 60% of the funding is expected to come from the National River Restoration Fund, managed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
A letter has been sent to the Government of Tamil Nadu Water Resources Secretary, Shri Sandeep Saxena, urging the state to contribute the remaining 40% of the project cost. A response is currently pending.
Rajesh Govindarajulu handed over various documents to the Minister, including a news articles, highlighting the region's waterbody concerns. The meeting was also attended by Dr. C K Saraswathi, MLA, Modakkurichi, and Shri Selvakumar.
The team also requested Shri Bishweswar Tudu to initiate a train service from Bhubaneswar to Coimbatore, for which he advised writing a formal request to the Minister for Railways.
In a related development, South Western Railway has announced special trains between Bangalore (Yesvantpur) and Thiruvananthapuram (Kochuveli) via Salem, Coimbatore, and Ernakulam, to accommodate the Pongal festival rush.