Giving life to a dying river: P Selvaraj, the man behind revival of Kousika
Kousika River, a waterbody of profound archaeological, historical, and literary significance was revived by Selvaraj and his NGO through restoration initiatives
On World Environment Day, PK Selvaraj, the founder of the NGO Kousika Neerkarangal, has been conferred the Chief Minister’s Waterbody Conservator Award by the Tamil Nadu government.
This award has been bestowed on Selvaraj for his relentless efforts in rejuvenating the Kousika River, a waterbody of profound archaeological, historical, and literary significance in Coimbatore district, which had largely remained dry in the past few years. It was once the lifeline of the Kongu region.
Revitalising Kousika River
For over 15 years, Selvaraj and his organisation have spearheaded watershed development and restoration initiatives for the Kousika River.
Before and after: Committed to restoring a river, which was once the lifeline of the Kongu region, for future generations
“Revitalising the Kousika River is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity bestowed by nature. We are committed to restoring it for future generations,” Selvaraj told The Federal. Under his leadership, Kousika Neerkarangal conducted extensive surveys of streams, dams, and lakes in the river basin, leading to the construction of six check dams to store river water.
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Additionally, the Avinashi-Athikadavu groundwater recharge project has facilitated water supply to the Agrahara Samakulam tank, marking significant progress in the restoration efforts.
Value of water
Reflecting on his journey, Selvaraj shared, “As a child, I faced water scarcity and I had to cycle many kilometers to fetch water. The hardship taught me its value. I started this mission so no one else would endure such struggles.”
He acknowledged the challenges, including initial setbacks in afforestation efforts and the difficulty of sustaining long-term initiatives. “Persistence is key. Starting small, we planted saplings, but they didn’t survive. We learned that continuous effort is essential. What began as an individual effort grew into a small group, then a larger movement, driven by the shared pain of water scarcity in the region,” he said.
The pain of water scarcity drove people to restore the Kousika river
Dumping garbage
Selvaraj highlighted the challenges of preventing garbage dumping and removing invasive species like Prosopis juliflora (Seemai Karuvelam) from the river.
“Turning this into a people’s movement was crucial. Engaging local communities transformed our efforts into a collective mission,” he noted. Over the past 20 years, awareness campaigns and protests have curbed encroachments, particularly by real estate developers. However, Selvaraj pointed out ongoing issues with solid waste and sewage management.
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“Local bodies often dump solid waste into the river, and sewage, including plastics and oil from tankers, pollutes it. Through negotiations, we are working to address these issues,” he said.
The Kousika
The Kousika originates at Kurudi Hill (also known as Kurudimalai) in Coimbatore, near Narasimhanaickenpalayam, in the Western Ghats. It is fed by streams from peaks like Mel Mudi (5,385 feet), Nadukandaan Poli (5,600 feet), and Lambton’s Peak (5,080 feet). The river flows through 22 panchayats and town panchayats, including Idigarai, Kovilpalayam, Vaiyampalayam, and Thekalur in Coimbatore and Avinashi in Tirupur, before merging with the Noyyal River at Kaniyampoondi village in Tiruppur district.
Archaeological evidence suggests the Kousika River fostered a civilization dating back at least 2,000 years, with carbon-dated artefacts from Kovilpalayam and Idigarai indicating Iron Age settlements (1500 BCE–500 BCE). Cattle skeletons and teeth samples excavated from its banks have been dated to 15,000 years old, and some riverbed stones are estimated to be 100,000 years old, pointing to its paleontological significance.
Multiple revival efforts
Kousika Neerkarangal has established 15 autonomous people’s movements to safeguard water bodies, involving local communities through crowdfunding and CSR initiatives. Over 5,000 volunteers, including 600 students from institutions like Bharathiar University and Karunya University, have participated in clean-up drives, such as one launched in Narasimhanaickenpalayam with support from the Rotary Club and NGOs like Wellbeing Out of Waste.
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"Revival efforts aim to irrigate 20,000 acres of land, benefiting drought-prone areas in Sulur, Avinashi, and Palladam taluks. The rejuvenation of Kousika Lake alone supports 20 villages and 50,000 people," Selvaraj added.
In October 2024, Rotary District 3201 and Kousika Neerkarangal launched a ₹160-crore, three-year revival project, starting with a drone survey to identify encroachments, sub-streams, and sewage inflow points. The first phase, covering a 6-km stretch between Vaiyampalayam and Devampalayam check dams, was completed by January 2025, with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted to attract further funding.
