CM Launches ‘Eri’ Portal; Siruthuli Among Five Organisations to Receive NOCs for Waterbody Restoration

Coimbatore: Coimbatore-based Siruthuli is among five organisations that received No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (November 10) under the newly launched 'Eri' portal, aimed at enabling NGOs and volunteers to undertake waterbody restoration projects across the state.

The portal (https://www.eri.tn.gov.in), developed by the Water Resources Department (WRD), was launched during an event at the Secretariat in Chennai. Along with Siruthuli, the Chief Minister handed over NOCs to representatives of the Environmental Foundation of India (EFI), Exnora International Foundation, Mega Foundation and Dhan Foundation to undertake waterbody restoration works.

The portal was developed following requests from NGOs and volunteers who had faced procedural difficulties in obtaining approvals from multiple government departments for restoration projects, particularly those supported by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding.

The platform provides details of more than one lakh waterbodies under the control of five government departments. Organisations can apply online to undertake desilting, strengthen lake and waterbody bunds, and carry out other permitted minor improvement works aimed at improving water storage capacity.

Replacing the existing system of submitting applications in person, the portal introduces a transparent, time-bound approval mechanism. The government aims to issue NOCs within 15 days for eligible applications.

The Chief Engineer and Director of the State Water Resources Management Agency (SWaRMA) has been designated as the nodal officer to oversee application scrutiny, monitor approvals and coordinate with various departments.