Even today, it is hailed as the legendary river and lifeline of south Tamil Nadu. Poets no more sing about it as flooding is a rare phenomenon. But mindless exploitation of the Vaigai by its own people is slowly transforming it into the ‘Sorrow of Madurai.’
The recent publication of Reflection Books, Vaiyai Thadam Thedi… (In search of the Vaigai’s footprints), authored by B. Thirumalai and R. Sivakumar, is a wake-up call for the people.
The 108-page book is different from many publications on the Vaigai as it foretells the future even while juxtaposing the present with the past. As the authors say in its preface, the book is not a bundle of statistics but a recollection of the glorious past while looking at an unpleasant present.
It begins with Ilango Adigal’s poetic description of the river in Silappathikaram and a modern verse on its present state. The book’s literary touch is enhanced not only by its language but also the way in which the authors have delved deep into Tamil literature to bring out references to the Vaigai.
Though the origin of its name is familiar, the book adds another dimension by interpreting it as a ‘slow-winding beauty (Vaiyai).’ An interesting reference is the celebration of seven-day Onam festival in the past, which culminated with a ceremonial dip in the Vaigai.
The Vaigai was so intertwined with the lives of people living along its course that it has been humanised and deified in the past. The river system is a model for water management and an outstanding example is the reference to the irrigation scheme, ‘Arikesari Kaal,’ of 690 AD. Tracing the course of the river, the book explains how it had changed course over the years. Periyar dam, now in Kerala, was planned to overcome the drought caused in areas beyond the reach of the Vaigai in the then Madurai district.
In contrast to the Vaigai of yore, the river serves as a carrier for over 98 lakh litres of sewage, five lakh litres of hospital waste and 20 lakh litres of waste water daily. Pollution of the river is more pronounced from Thuvariman to Silaiman. Besides pollution, sand quarrying is ringing the death knell for the river, the book warns and lists out what the people, government and civic body should do to revive it.
An interesting reference is
the celebration of seven-day Onam festival in the past, which culminated with a ceremonial
dip in the Vaigai
