PUDUCHERRY: As the temperature sizzled at 39.8°C across Puducherry, and deadpan ponds with murky water shimmered in the midday heat, disquiet was palpable in the air. The scorching sun screamed down parched fields mercilessly. Environmentalists associated with PondyCAN in the union territory expressed concern over the dire situation of waterbodies drying up post-haste. They took a vow to save them after scouting all across Puducherry.
Under the aegis of the Alliance for Good Governance (AGG), a battery of 12 civil society organisations, including PondyCAN, joined forces to revive waterbodies. Of the string of over 600 ponds that quenched the thirst during the reign of the Cholas, a thousand years ago, only 420 or so remain in Puducherry. Today, most of the waterbodies in Puducherry are getting restored, thanks to AGG’s efforts.
The system of ‘Kudimaramathu’ - in vogue during the Chola era - helped local communities preserve waterbodies through revenue generated from the rearing of fish and the like. They devised a range of strategies, including long-term planning, desilting works, strengthening bunds, and planting trees to maintain the water bodies.
Later, the French government entered the scene and institutionalised the ‘Kudimaramathu,’ renaming it to ‘Syndicate Agricole’ and ‘Caise Commune.’ Budgets, every year, were prepared for the maintenance of ponds and big tanks.
On November 1, 1954, Puducherry was liberated from French rule. Eight years later, the colonial settlement now abounded with Instagrammable streets and idyllic monuments, was formally merged with the Indian Union, following which the administration of waterbodies, once again, changed hands to rest on the shoulders of the public works department (PWD) of the newly formed union territory.
Over the years, however, the system failed, as the officials recruited were relatively inexperienced or the work was contracted out. Fund shortage worsened the plight, rues Probir Banerjee of PondyCAN. Between 1999 and 2008, as many as 83 tanks were restored through the Tank Rehabilitation Project of Pondicherry, which was aided by the European Union. An association of tank users formed in the times bygone has become non-functional, and the tanks fell into a state of neglect.
Well, the wells are almost empty and the ponds are now ridden with garbage, Banerjee laments. Encroachments added fuel to the fire as the groundwater level depleted and the water turned saline. Individual efforts to protect the dying ponds gradually swarmed into a movement as the waterbodies regained their lost charm.
The non-profit organisations under AGG have revived 47 ponds and cleaned up another seven this year. They have created a new tank at Mullodai. “The plan is to restore as many waterbodies as possible and create awareness so that it becomes a community project. Recreational spots need to be created so that the waterbodies turn out to be of public interest,” says Banerjee.
Akin to PondyCAN, Kulangal Kappom and ‘Waters of Pondicherry’, too, set out to save the ponds. During their formative years, they were met with a deep crisis: we really wanted to save waterbodies, but we could not, however, spot one, recalls Dinesh Krishnamoorthy of the NGO.
“Where are all the waterbodies? We had then asked ourselves, prompting us to chalk out a plan to map the network of waterbodies in Puducherry. We posted the list on our official website for future reference,” Dinesh adds.And when the going gets tough, the tough get going. In 2020, the AGG faced its darnedest challenge: save Vannan Kulam, the biggest urban pond, located at Marapalam, which is now reeking of garbage and devastation.
After three months of strenuous efforts, the pond was restored by mobilising funds. Its capacity is now 50 lakh litres and a spring beneath the pond pumps in water. It is now filled with lilies and lotus plants. The bid to turn its surroundings into a recreational spot by including a children’s park and badminton court did not materialise, as the restored park was figured in the smart city scheme of the government.
“The concrete wall prevents water percolation to the pond, and the vacant area surrounding the pond is still used to park garbage trucks,” Probir reflects gloomily.In similar bids, the Vannan Kulam at Kamban Nagar and Reddiarpalayam Pond, too, were saved from damnation. After its restoration, local associations contributed to its development, and the AGG advised residents to harvest rainwater and drain the water into the tank.
Other restoration works included two ponds at the electricity substation in Marapalam, after which a retired police officer took a stroll down the memory lane recollecting episodes of swimming across the pond to reach the substation. Similarly, it took six weeks to restore the Eri Amman pond at Abhishekapakkam. It had not been desilted for over 50 years.
Moreover, in order to uproot the tendency to overuse water, annual celebrations of a Water Festival teem with people, spreading awareness of water conservation. Similarly, residents fill up water pots and carry them from Ousteri Lake on the occasion of the Neer Kudam Yatra to symbolise the interconnectedness of water and people.
In 2020, AGG took up the One School One Pond program (OSOP) across schools in association with the education department. The OSOP follows a structure in which each school is assigned a pond in their neighbourhood which will be studied and analysed. The students will take up the responsibility to clean, conserve and enhance the waterbodies with local support, fostering a sense of belonging among the students. So far, around 230 schools, including both government and private schools, have become a part of OSOP.
According to TP Raghunath of Sri Aurobindo Society, the Water Literacy project was launched in 10 government schools to sensitise students to climate change and the importance of rainwater harvesting. Along with this, the AGG is engaged in bio-regional planning in Auroville, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts.
“Bioregional planning is a holistic and integrated approach to development which transcends political boundaries to branch out to a wider landscape of natural forms. Watershed areas define its boundaries,” says Banerjee. On the mission of the AGG, Banerjee says it works in collaboration with all stakeholders to devise a sustainable future that incorporates an abundance of water.
The Alliance for Good Governance comprises PondyCAN, Svarnim Puducherry, Confederation of Government Employees Association, HOPE, Kulangal Kappom, Waters Of Pondicherry, Nansey, Pondicherry Science Forum, Bangaaru Vaickal Neeraadhara Koottamaippu, Poovulagin Nanbargal, Sembandugai Naneeragam, National Human Resource Foundation, INTACH, and Karunaalayam.
They show us the way of water instills a sense of belonging with nature, a togetherness long overdue to be acknowledged. Yet again the wildflowers will blossom, and, after every rain, the overgrown byroads of Puducherry would whiff of cashews.The ponds of Pondicherry would once again be brimming with water and pride. They would once again cherish the moment.