On the banks of Cauvery

Surprising (or because of it) for a person born and brought up on the banks of Koovum in Chennai, I retain a very strong love for rivers, especially when they are brimming with water. As a Tamil, the river Cauvery is very special to me and my heart bleeds to see the dry sands of Palar. With nature's bounty last year, most major and minor rivers of Tamilnadu managed to see water, which became a sight to behold. Our people have the highest reverence for nature at a spiritual level but at the practical level they are also the most insensitive in protecting the environment. Fortunately there's a lot more environmental awareness today and I am happy to see even villagers protesting the illegal sand quarrying or encroachments of water bodies.

Pic: A scene of flowing Cauvery near Swamimalai