CHENNAI: After a long spell of drought-like conditions, rains have finally arrived in Tamil Nadu. The crisis hit Chennai the hardest, with government arranging water to be brought by train from Jolarpettai. The journey of the water begins much farther ahead, in Karnataka. Express lensman Shiba Prasad Sahu traces this journey from ‘zero point’ in Ajjiparai, on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border
It’s a six-kilometre trek to Ajjiparai from Sangam via Mekedatu. A forest ranger of Karnataka welcomes us with a broad smile in Ajjiparai. The row over Cauvery between the two States hardly affects our discussion on the subject. Ravi, a forest guard, is assigned to help us through the area.
Ajjiparai is blanketed in a lush green carpet. A carpet nurtured by Cauvery. Walking through we come across pug marks...probably of a leopard, elephant dung, and chirps of different species of birds. Ajjiparai, in Krishnagiri district, is where Cauvery enters Tamil Nadu. The place is known as ‘zero point’.
We return to Sangam and take-off by car to the famed Hogenekkal Falls. The road is dotted with life-size statues of local gods. Dry a few weeks ago, Hogenekkal is now brimming with water and the inflow of tourists is heavy.
It’s through here that water to Chennai reaches Mettur. We leave for the Mettur Dam, catchment site of which is famous for housing the Jalagandeswarar Temple, Pannavadi Nandhi statue and a church. The shrines are visible only when the dam goes dry.
Currently, both the structures are visible as there’s not enough water. Next to it is the Chekkanur Barrage, the source of water to Chennai.
There’s plenty of water here. Water gets pumped from here to Jolarpettai. It’s then loaded in railway wagons and brought to Chennai. Fresh pipelines have been laid in Chekkanur to take water to Jolarpettai. The next stop is Villivakam in Chennai, where the water is unloaded. It’s sent from here to the Metro Water stations in Kilpauk, where it’s treated and supplied.
(With inputs from S Sivaguru @ Krishnagiri)