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| Noyyal River | |
|---|---|
 Noyyal River bed | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Western Ghats inTamil Nadu |
| Mouth | |
• location | Kaveri |
| Length | 180 km (110 mi) |
| Basin size | 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) |
Noyyal is a 180 km (110 mi)–long seasonal river inWestern Tamil Nadu, India. It is a tributary of theKaveri river. The river rises in the Vellingiri hills in theWestern Ghats, and flows westwards through the cities ofCoimbatore, andTirupur, before draining into the Kaveri at Noyyal inKarur district. The river basin covers an area of 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi), which consists of 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi) of cultivable lands.
The river is seasonal, and dependent on themonsoon. An extensive tank system has been developed to store the river water and the overflow during monsoon. There are severalcheck dams, and two larger dams–Aathupalayam andOrathuppalayam. Flowing through major urban areas, the river is highly polluted and faces significant ecological concern.
Noyyal is a sacred river for theTamils. Its is referred to as Kanchimanadi in theTamil textPerur Puranam. It got its name later in the 18th century CE. The Noyyal River and its interconnected tank and canal system is believed to have been built by theChalukya Cholas, as a system of water transport, and storage.[citation needed]
The river rises in the Vellingiri hills in theWestern Ghats, and flows westwards towardsCoimbatore. After passing throughTirupur, and covering a total distance of 180 km (110 mi), Noyyal joins theKaveri river at Noyyal inKarur district. The river is seasonal and fed bymonsoon. Tributaries and rivulets include Cheyyar, Kausika, and Periar, which join the river during its course.[citation needed]
From the source, the river valley consists ofkankar soil for a stretch of 25 km (16 mi) to a depth of 60 m (198 ft). It extends from the origin of the river to theUkkadam Lake in Coimbatore. The fill absorbs water initially, and only when the absorption reaches a saturation point, the excess water flows downstream.[citation needed]
The Noyyal River system has an extensive network ofcanals, andtanks. Surplus water from the river spilled into the canals and were channeled to the tanks, preventing flooding, and was used to replenish the ground water and for utilisation later.[1] However, the system was neglected and the number of functional water bodies has reduced to eleven by 2003. This has had a profound effect onagriculture in the region.[2][3]
There are two major dams–Orathuppalayam (nearChennimalai) andAathupalayam (nearVellakoil), which were commissioned with the aim of irrigating about 20,000 acres of land inTirupur and Karur districts. The Orathuppalayam dam has been decommissioned and acts as effluent storage tank.[citation needed] There are about 23check dams.
Due to its course through urban areas,pollution has been a major concern. Textile units in Tiruppur release effluents into the river. Despite several litigation and court orders, which ordered the closure of such units, the river continues to be polluted. TheGovernment of Tamil Nadu announced a project to prevent pollution in July 2018.[4]
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