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Cradled in the laps of Mother Noyyal, rose the city of Coimbatore. Being originated in the Vellingiri Hills of Coimbatore, Noyyal spends her childhood and youth in Coimbatore. Of her 160 km long life, she spreads her hands through Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur. The great Noyyal Valley Civilization flourished on its bank and even had trade links with Romans. The name “Noyyal” stood for the village where she merges with Cauvery and continue her journey together. During the period of Chola kings, they found that Noyyal gets flooded often in its downstream near Noyyal Village. Their realization about this gift of Mother Nature, led to the construction of tanks and system canals in the course of Noyyal. They created a garland of lakes and anicuts along its course, thus helping the underground water of this region to prosper. About 20000 acres of agricultural lands were directly irrigated through the canal and system tanks of River Noyyal.
Civilizations flourished and vanished, but human greed remains. Noyyal has been shrinking to death, thanks to over-exploitation and pollution. Agriculture helped recharge the ground water and thus, the level of underground water was stable. But, the establishment of industries clubbed with population growth and urbanization, resulted in depletion of ground water beyond economical pumping state. The UNDP studies in 1980s, declared Coimbatore District drought-prone, with the fastest depletion of ground water level in the whole world. Being on the death-bed, Mother Noyyal could only watch helplessly.
The year 2003 witnessed Coimbatore in its worst, with ground water table as low as 200 feet and the green cover of Mother Nature getting removed massively. Even drinking water started to become a most demanded commodity. The land of River Noyyal, started scorching in heat and dust. Coimbatore became a hot plate, emanating heat with little water and green cover to support. People were reminded of the warning – a third world war for water?! Citizens’ conscious rose; their needs roped them in to do something for their city.