Members of the Krishnagiri-based Indian Rivers Knit Movement (IRKM), an NGO creating awareness about the need for inter-linking and networking of rivers, who are on a ‘paadayatra’ from Hosur to Chennai to meet Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, passed through Vellore on Tuesday evening.

They were received by the members of the National Waterways Development Technologies, another Vellore-based NGO, led by president K K Sridhar and secretary Venkatesan.

The paadayatra has been undertaken to highlight the importance of the inter-linking of rivers and the protection of farmers, said Sardhar, director of the IRKM who organized the event.

Floods and droughts plaguing India, drive farmers to commit suicide and the only solution, to ensure protection to the farmers, is to link all the rivers, he said.

The NGO would appeal to the CM to come up with a policy to set up waterways by linking the rivers in the country.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service – Vellore / February 20th, 2014