The Karisal Bhoomi Farmers Association has urged the authorities to clear the invasive vegetation in the Vaippar river between Muthulapuram and Keela Nambipuram check dams and level the uneven riverbed terrain.

Within Ettayapuram taluk, from Vallakanatham village in Muthulapuram firka to Singilipatti village, covering areas such as Keelnattukurichi, Muthulapuram, Nambipuram and Aatrankarai, around 11 check dams have been constructed across Vaippar river. In addition, there are hundreds of drinking water and agricultural wells dependent on the river.

A. Varadharajan, president, Karisal Bhoomi Farmers Association, said that before 2000, for several years rainwater flowing during the monsoon deposited sand up to a depth of around 20 feet in Vaippar river, which had significantly helped in maintaining a high groundwater level. In the later years, sand mining leases were granted and sand was extracted far beyond the permitted limits in violation of the government rules.

Noting that excessive sand mining had led to a dip in the groundwater level in the wells, Mr. Varadharajan said that as a result of excessive sand mining, invasive plant species such as Prosopis juliflora had spread extensively across the riverbed, growing densely like a forest.

Works were under way to clear invasive vegetation in the upstream catchment area and downstream surplus flow region at Muthulapuram check dam. The ongoing work of removing invasive vegetation and levelling the river bed should be extended up to Keela Nambipuram.

Speaking to The Hindu a senior official from the Vaippar river basin said the Public Works Department was carrying out the removal of invasive vegetation in Vaippar near Muthulapuram, and feasibility of extending the work up to Keela Nambipuram would be examined.