Rain water harvesting models, right from the Mohenjo-daro and Harappa civilisations, will be on display at a two-day exhibition at the V.O.C. Grounds here on July 17 and 18. Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will inaugurate the event on July 17.
Siruthuli, a public initiative to conserve water resources, has organised the programme as part of its campaign for tapping rain water to raise ground water level.
Titled “Siruthuli peruvellam…Andrum Indrum”, it will feature an array of harvesting models prepared by students of schools and colleges and also by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
“This was suggested by students. They gave us this idea during the Nurture Nature ecology camps we conducted for them during summer,” Managing Trustee of Siruthuli, Vanitha Mohan told presspersons on Wednesday. School and college students would display 60 and 15 models respectively.
Model of river Noyyal
The corner stone of the event would be a model of river Noyyal, showing how clear it was at the point of origin and how it was increasingly polluted as it reached the city and flowed towards the Noyyal Village in Erode District where it joined the Cauvery river.
Explaining the reason for holding such an event, Ms. Mohan said Siruthuli began its water resources conservation drive in 2003 by removing silt from the tanks in the city and strengthening their bunds. This resulted in an appreciable rise in the ground water level.
“But, we thought that this alone would not do. We wanted to carry out an intensive campaign on ways to conserve the resources,” she said.
Apart from the conservation measures, Siruthuli organised a major event every year to draw the attention of the people of Coimbatore to the objective of the drive. This year, it was on rain water harvesting.
“Most parts of Coimbatore get drinking water only once in eight or 10 days. This calls for improving the ground water level. For this, rain water harvesting is the ideal solution,” she pointed out.
Project Chairman of Siruthuli A.P. Suresh said Mr. Kalam would hand over pots of water to students to inaugurate the event on July 17. The students would, in turn, pour the water into the tanks in the cities to stress conservation and rain water harvesting.
Experts in water resources conservation would speak on the subject, providing even archaeological evidence of good practices in ancient times.
Some firms would also display water-efficient equipment. The Gee Dee group would demonstrate the functions of a mobile treatment plant, which could even to recycle domestic waste water.
Traditional dance forms such as kuda koothu and mallakhamb, a form of gymnastics (all related to water) would be performed.
Coca Cola involvement
On why Siruthuli had teamed up with Coca Cola to conserve a water resource in Tiruvallur District, when the soft drink firm had been accused of exploiting ground water for commercial purposes at Plachimada in Kerala, Ms. Mohan said the company was not drawing water from the targeted water resource in Tiruvallur. “We have been very clear on this; water will not be drawn for commercial purpose,” she said.
Source -- HINDU
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