Coimbatore: MDMK's V. Eswaran has accused that the Noyyal river is being destroyed and robbed of its biodiversity under the poorly planned Smart City project.
Coimbatore: MDMK's V. Eswaran has accused that the Noyyal river is being destroyed and robbed of its biodiversity under the poorly planned Smart City project.
A statement released by him reads, "The Coimbatore Corporation administration and public works department are involved in widening, renovating and rehabilitating the Noyyal river under the Smart City project.
Minister SP Velumani issued a statement regarding the work to be done by the public works department which made it clear where the project is coming from. Without any major research and adequate planning, they are engaged in the task of destroying the ecosystem of the Noyyal River in the name of development work worth Rs 230 crore considering the election and the cost the AIADMK would incur during the elections.
Reclaiming a river's water source is not possible without restoring its streams, setting up dams, increasing greenery in its catchment areas, demarcating the land, clearing encroachments, setting up sewage treatment plants, preventing debris and pollution, and increasing the capacity of ponds.
In the name of strengthening the banks of the lakes, they are wasting people's tax money by pouring concrete into the ponds without any guidelines from the Central and State Governments instead of deepening the lakes and ponds. This is spoiling the biodiversity of the water bodies built by our forefathers.
For example, people residing near Perur Kulam are being evicted from their huts in the name of protecting water bodies. Now the waterways there have been occupied and they are setting up storage depots for concrete mixing machines and construction, pouring cement into the ground, and thus preventing water from seeping into the ground.
When the ponds are upgraded, the size of the ponds should not be reduced and the catchment area should not shrink. Removing the old trees there are against court orders. How can water bodies be protectedwithout dredging the ponds and the streams?
Farmers, opposition parties, people's representatives and the media have not been informed about the full details of the project and the full project report has not been published anywhere in public and no consultation meeting was held with farmers, nature activists and the beneficiaries.
They are implementing these contracts through their own party members and proxies them and also transfer officials who do not agree with them and appoint officials areas who are favorable to them."