Chengannoor: Residents of Othara and nearby places are in awe to see a once-dead Varattar in full flow in front of their eyes. The once healthy and graceful Varattar, which they thought long dead, is slowly coming back to life as the result of the recent rejuvenation processes at Aadipamba.
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Varattar has regained its lost glory because the water flowing from Koyipram Varalthodu, Poovannappuzhathodu, Poongayilthodu, and Chennathu Puthenthodu through Idanaadu reaches Aadipamba, near Panchavadi.
People, overwhelmed at the sight of the flowing river, are enthusiastically joining this mission to revive it. They actively participate in chopping away small branches of the trees that obstruct the flow of Varattar. Some share their joy by offering tea to the laborers and others celebrate by clicking pictures of the flowing river and posting it on social media and even sending it to their relatives abroad.
Even celebrities are expected to visit Aadipamba in the coming days to be a part of this celebration.
Canals are being dug at Puthukulangara, 400 metres towards Chappathu, to infuse water into the Varattar. There were huge waste-filled pits in the area. The deep waterbody at Elavanmoodu, east of Chappathu, had totally dried up; but today a whole locality is joining hands aiming to breathe life into the river.
River of the masses
The funds for the rejuvenation program are collected from local residents and nature-lovers. They have not received any monetary support from the government though ministers, MLAs, MP, and the local bodies had wholeheartedly joined this mission by making contributions. Around Rs.3.37 lakh had been collected so far; the rent for the JCB itself costing Rs.16,000 a day. An account is opened at the Edanadu branch of Canara Bank in the name ‘Varatte Aaru’ meaning ‘Let the River Come, (account number: 5290101001515, IFSC: CNR0005290)
Student volunteers from Eramallikkara Sree Ayyappan College and Chenganoor Christian College too have joined this mission. The people's associations and Kuttoor Thiruvanvandoor panchayats have made plans to call meetings in the coming days during which discussions about further course of actions will be taken. The Varattar rejuvenation program is nothing short of a celebration and people are thrilled to see water gushing in Varattar
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