The Treacherous Tributary of Cauvery

Thanks to this pandemic. This lockdown is giving everybody their personal space for which the masses were yearning for. I used this to the fullest and the lockdown is yet to be completed. I came back to my hometown in the middle of this nationwide lockdown on June. I am having a great time exploring the lesser known yet important heritage structures of Thanjavur. I’d been to the rivers which are now flowing fully with their might because of the bountiful rains in the neighboring states.

Thanjavur got its perfect name “Granary of Tamil Nadu”, with all its natural resources in abundant helping the fertile lands to produce more. All this feats just because of the holy Cauvery flowing and blessing the lands of Tamil Nadu. Different tributaries of the holy rivers gives life to the farming lands along the river bed

Pudhu Aaru in the City

One such tributary is the Grandanaicut Canal aka Pudhu Aaru, which takes it birth from Cauvery in the great Kallanai Dam. This Grandanaicut Canal runs around 150kms and helps in the irrigations thousands of hectares of agricultural land in the Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts. This canal from Kallanai flows through the villages along the Trichy-Thanjavur route and then enters the city of Thanjavur. This canal kisses the moat of the Brihadeeshwarar temples, recharges the moat with minimum water because of the poor maintenance. Then this canal continues its journey further and reaches the other end of the city and enters the neighboring Pudukottai district. This Grandanaicut Canal has this frightening name called “Ponanthinni Aaru” (means carrying or washing away dead bodies). It is usual for the people to witness this river carrying dead bodies every season without fail. This tributary of the holy river is a deadly one among the others.

Me and my friends usually take bath and play in one of the major drains of this deadly river. We escape from the chaos of work, family and the disturbances of city and play here once in a week at least. We already knew about the evil might of this river. Our parents keep on advising us to play carefully in the river, since it is known for taking away many people’s life.

Unfortunately, day before yesterday (29^th Aug, 2020), we witnessed a dead body completely drowned and floating near the drain. We immediately reported to the Superintendent of Police office through a call and we immediately left the place after informing to the police. But the scene is still flashing in our mind. That morning, we dropped the plan to bath at the river. GP firmly said, he will never visit or bath in the river again. It was a lesson for every one of us. Because, with lot of enthusiasm, we also tried jumping from the top of the shutters once when the water level was low. Otherwise we don’t try such risky stunts.

A snap of the other side of Grandanaicut Canal

There are people who doesn’t know anything about the river and jump in it from a bridge and lost their lives. At the other hand, there are brilliant idiots, who intentionally do such risky adventures and lose their lives. The scene we saw was disturbing us for a day, eventually we moved on.

Rivers are beautiful indeed, but those shallow water have succumbed many innocent souls to death, not only of humans, but many animals indeed. I admire the beauty of the nature by standing from two feet distance, getting closer might cost your life. Take care and be safe!!!

 

Yours East Gaterr