Protect Uyyakondan’ mission spreads to colleges in city

To protect the 1,000-year-old Uyyakondan canal passing through the city bearing pollutants littered by residents, Citizens for Uyyakondan, a voluntary group on Thursday sensitised students of Saranathan Engineering College here on protecting the water body. To fan behavioural change among the public so as to prevent them from polluting the “freshwater body”, the forum has been creating awareness in schools and colleges to rope in the collective efforts of students to restore the Chola-era canal.


To restore the 87 km long Uyyakondan canal including 8.4 km stretch within city touted as a manmade wonder to benefit at least 33,000 acres of cultivable lands in Trichy and Thanjavur districts after departing from Cauvery near Pettavaithalai, the forum ‘Citizens for Uyyakondan’ was floated by denizens in December 2017.
After conducting dozens of weekend cleanup drives covering the banks of the canal, further to encourage locals particularly the students to study the historical canal, a power point presentation was prepared by the forum with the support of historians highlighting the mightiness of the canal under the banner ‘My city My duty’.
“The purpose was to reach out to a maximum number of students inviting them to participate in a public initiative to save Uyyakondan from being polluted further. Students participating in the awareness programme will be sensitised about water conservation measures. If interested, they can involve in field works such as cleaning activities and tree plantation drives along the canal in city limits,” one of the organisers with Citizens for Uyyakondan said.
Last week, the forum sensitised 250 school students in Trichy and they have planned to carry out the presentations on history, current status of Uyyakondan besides plans and measures to restore the water body in coming days. tnn

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