The Southern district of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu is dependent on the northeast and south-west monsoons. Agriculture plays a vital role in the district’s economy. The total cropped area of 207868 hectares, works out 30.75% to the total area of 675850 hectares. The district is blessed with the Western Ghats, from which all the perennial rivers flow and drain towards the east. The surface water of the district is drained into major river basins viz., Thamiraparani, Vaippar, Nambiar and Anuman Nathi. In the Western Ghats up-hills in a village called Parivirisuriyan, the Anuman Nathi originates and runs through 13 small and big villages for 32 KM. It finally meets the Indian Ocean near a small fishing village called Perumanal.

Anuman Nathi was once known as the perennial river, however today, the river carries water only during the monsoon for a few days and does not fill all the 47 associated tanks. The anicuts and shutters are in damaged condition and the tanks are not desilted systematically. Some of the tanks were desilted through the kudimaramathu scheme, although a thorough desilting is yet to be done. In many points of the river, sewage is disposed, and solid waste is dumped wherever it crosses the town panchayats and villages. Both natural and man-made encroachments have reduced the water flow area and the banks are weak in several places. Community has abandoned the river and ownership is dismal.

In order to restore, protect and maintain the Anuman River and maintain the associated anicuts and channels and to create awareness to the people living along the course of the river, Fr.Anbuselvan, Director of Vallioor Multipurpose Social Service Society (VMSSS) started mobilising volunteers. His orientation on Movement concept and legal knowledge coupled with environmental animation found to play a catalytic role in mobilising the community and do advocacy to promote community guardianship of the river.

Irrespective of the religion, caste and political affiliation, group of volunteers belonging to villages located alongside of the river united together and registered as members of the movement called ‘Nham Anuman Nathi’ meaning ‘Our Anuman River’. The farmer groups, youth and the community-conscious villagers from 11 villages are identified and formed as teams. Committees are formed and the ownership to restore and maintain the river is ascertained with them. Crowdfunding strategy is used to mobilize funds to restore the river.

On 16th March 2020, Fr. Anbuselvan convened the meeting of  Nham Anuman Nathi  team along with Anna University representatives and Nham Thamirabarani team (which has revived many tanks and working on the revival of Tamirabarani river). They started taking stock of the current status on natural and man-made encroachments, the anicuts, channels and tanks, level and quantum of sewage disposed into the river, strength of the river banks, mobilizing the resources to revive the river and desilt the associated tanks with the support of district administration.

A detailed request was submitted to the district collector  Smt. Shilpa Prabakar Satish and she inspected the river along with concerned  Government department officials. A 5 member surveyor team was formed, and the survey was conducted to mark the river borders. The district collector had given a ‘go ahead’ for the restoration and directed all the Government officials to support the ‘Nham Anuman Nathi’ group to ensure the smooth execution of the activities. An aerial view survey was conducted using the drone camera. Encroachments were marked and instructions were given for the restoration group on the standard operating procedures to be followed while undertaking the restoration activity.

After getting necessary approval from the district administration, Anna University (technical consultant) formed a technical team in each village and trained them on the technical aspects of monitoring the survey and restoration activity. As proposed, a geospatial survey was conducted. The professors of Anna University monitor the survey and are providing the necessary technical guidance. Their report serves as the master document to guide further work required in the river and its associated channels and tanks.  Nham Anuman Nathi team has planned to propose to the Government for allocating funds for the complete restoration of the river and its associated channels integrating all the state and central Government schemes. The villagers are guided to mobilise the local resources and utilise the available Government schemes to revive the tanks in their respective panchayats to enjoy uninterrupted water supply and increase the groundwater level as well.

Fr.Anbuselvan said “ I should thank Caritas India for promoting the idea of volunteering. The constant accompaniment and motivation given by Dr.John Arokiaraj, Manager, Caritas India has given me inspiration to take the lead role in movement-based initiatives and today, I am mentoring a posse of committed citizens for a meaningful cause”.  He continued saying that the main purpose is to make use of the Government schemes related to water bodies for the restoration and maintenance activity so that farmers are benefitted from Anuman river and move towards cultivating poison free organic food with the available copious water.

The volunteers who are in excess of 150 in number have been divided into 11 teams with each team taking responsibility for 11 different stretches in the 32 KM length. VMSSS led by Fr.Anbu is working on 9 KM stretch. The work is expected to be completed by August 2020 and Anuman river will be ready to flow in its original form as perennial river converting drylands into cultivable land.  In addition to giving renewed life to the river, the movement will focus on follow up activities like increasing green canopy by planting trees, the formation of vigilant committees to stop illegal activities that are affecting the river and effective implementation of solid and liquid waste management system in the villages along the river to prevent further pollution.

It is planned to install technologically advanced sewage treatment plants in the villages to manage the liquid waste within the village by converging various central and state Government schemes instituted for this purpose.  By preserving flora and fauna of Anuman river, the health of this perennial river is beginning to be reinstated during this COVID 19 pandemic crisis. The geared-up community volunteers are not deterred by the impact of this health pandemic but rather are getting ready to address the ensuing economic pandemic in the aftermath of COVID 19.