TN Govt Launches 'Eri' Portal, Promises 15-Day Clearance For Waterbody Restoration

The Tamil Nadu government has launched a dedicated online portal to fast-track the restoration and rejuvenation of waterbodies across the state, promising to issue eligible No Objection Certificates (NOCs) within 15 days.

The 'Eri' portal, developed by the Water Resources Department, seeks to eliminate bureaucratic delays by replacing the existing manual application process with a transparent, time-bound digital mechanism. The initiative is aimed at facilitating the participation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), volunteers, corporate social responsibility (CSR) organisations and other stakeholders in waterbody restoration projects.

The portal, available at www.eri.tn.gov.in, brings together a centralised database of over one lakh waterbodies managed by five government departments. It allows organisations to identify waterbodies, submit restoration proposals, obtain necessary permissions, track applications and document the progress of their work through a single platform.

Eligible activities include desilting, strengthening of bunds and other permitted minor improvement works. The Chief Engineer and Director of the State Water Resources Management Agency (SWaRMA) will serve as the nodal authority, overseeing application screening, approval tracking and coordination among the departments concerned.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched the portal at the Secretariat on Tuesday and handed over the first set of online NOCs to representatives of environmental organisations, including Siruthuli, Environmental Foundation of India (EFI), Exnora International Foundation, Mega Foundation and Dhan Foundation.

The launch was attended by HR&CE Minister S Ramesh, Forest Minister R V Ranjith Kumar, Chief Secretary M Saikumar and other senior officials. The government said the initiative would help enhance water storage capacity, improve groundwater recharge and strengthen the state's resilience to climate change while ensuring long-term water security.

Several departments, including Water Resources, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, and Environment, Climate Change and Forest, are part of the initiative.