KAIFA hailed with award for reviving water bodies
During Cyclone Gaja devastation in 2018, the Delta region had almost turned to a desert as the groundwater had dried away as the water bodies were not desilted properly.
KAIFA members receiving the award from Thanjavur Collector B Priyanka Pankajam on Thursday
TIRUCHY: Lauding their relentless service to conserve environment and reviving water bodies, Peravurani-based KAIFA (Kadaimadai Area Integrated Farmers Association), a non-profitable organisation and green warriors was accorded ‘Pasumai Muthanmaiyalar” award by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on Thursday.
During Cyclone Gaja devastation in 2018, the Delta region had almost turned to a desert as the groundwater had dried away as the water bodies were not desilted properly. While the people were struggling even for potable drinking water, a group of youths and farmers formed KAIFA in 2019 and commenced desilting water bodies particularly, the 600-acre big Periya Kulam in Peravurani and even made a few miyawaki forests in the locality. The following year, there was adequate rainfall in the region and they stored the rainwater in the tank (Periya Kulam) and this recharged the ground water level in the region.
The success formula inspired the members to spread wings to the neighbouring villages and the districts and thus, they had revived as many as 211 waterbodies in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai and Tiruchy districts.
To recognise their services, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board announced ‘Pasumai Muthanmaiyalar’ award and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. On Thursday, during the Independence Day celebrations, Thanjavur Collector B Priyanka Pankajam handed over the award and cash reward to the KAIFA president Karthi Velusamy.
“Such recognition of our service would encourage us to go ahead with the service. We have so far revived 211 water bodies and removed encroachments along them and planted as many as 2.80 lakh saplings and 4.50 lakh palm seed balls across several districts. This apart, we have established as many as 38 miyawaki forests across the state. Our objective is to leave pure water to the next generation,” said Karthi Velusamy.
