Mysuru Member of Parliament, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, has made a strong appeal to the Union Government for immediate intervention to save the River Cauvery in Kodagu district. In a formal letter addressed to the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the MP has requested substantial financial support and a structured action plan from the Centre to address the escalating environmental crisis facing the vital river.
Urgent Call to Halt Pollution and Encroachments
The parliamentarian highlighted the severe and immediate threats to the river's health. He pointed out that the Cauvery is falling victim to rampant pollution, primarily from the direct discharge of untreated wastewater from residential areas and commercial establishments. Compounding this issue is the problem of illegal encroachments along the riverbanks, which are destabilizing the natural ecosystem.
"These issues are collectively degrading water quality, endangering public health, disrupting river ecology, and harming the livelihoods of countless people who depend on the Cauvery," Wadiyar emphasized in his communication. The letter stresses that conservation and systematic development of the riverbanks across Kodagu cannot be delayed any further.
Comprehensive Demands for River Revival
Yaduveer Wadiyar has laid out a multi-point strategy for the river's rehabilitation. His primary demands to the Jal Shakti Ministry include:
Conducting a comprehensive survey to clearly demarcate the Cauvery's boundaries in the district. This is seen as a critical first step to legally evict encroachers, followed by their rehabilitation.
He called for regulated activities along the riverbanks in key urban areas like Madikeri, Virajpet, and Kushalnagar. This includes establishing modern, scientific sanitation and drainage facilities to prevent wastewater from flowing into the river.
The MP also sought focused intervention to manage tourist activities by the riverside, address recurring flood problems, and promote only eco-friendly models for riverfront development.
Seeking Central Funds and Interstate Action Plan
Underlining the interstate significance of the Cauvery, which flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Wadiyar urged the Union Minister to formulate a phased, Central Government-supported action plan dedicated to the river's long-term conservation and development.
Most crucially, he has made a direct appeal for allocating specific funds in the upcoming Union Budget. The requested financial allocation is intended to support concrete projects for Cauvery River conservation, scientific waste management, sanitation improvements, and robust riverbank protection works.
This move by the Mysuru MP underscores the growing political and public concern over the deteriorating state of one of South India's most important rivers and places the onus on the Central Government to lead a coordinated rescue effort.
