Eco-restoration: Cooum river baby canals nearing completion

According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Integrated Cooum River Eco-Restoration project prepared by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT), a baby canal that is three meters wide will be constructed between Paruthipattu to Virugambakkam, an eight meters wide canal from Virugambakkam to Aminjikarai, and also from Aminjikarai to the mouth of the river. The main purpose of the baby canal is to convey the water during low flow season and avoid water stagnation. 

An official from Public Works Department (PWD), which has been conducting the construction of these baby canals since 2015 said, “The ongoing works in Choolaimedu are the ones that were pending from the construction that was started in 2015. In the project, the baby canal is constructed from Paruthipattu onwards, passing through Padikuppam and Chetpet bridge. While most of the work has been completed, the pending works are being undertaken at the Cooum near Choolaimedu,” said the official. 

The baby canal will have a geotextile covering and also a coconut blanket, to control erosion and dredging is also being carried out. 

According to the officials involved in the project, the baby canals would facilitate water flow during lean season and avoid stagnation, which in turn would avoid mosquito breeding in these areas. The official also pointed out that this was a unique method and an integral component of river channel improvement. 

“Nowhere in any river restoration across the country this has been adopted. This is the first-of-its-kind initiative, being carried out and implemented successfully in the nation,” said an official from CRRT. 

Under the Cooum restoration project, the Corporation has evicted 14,257 who were identified as encroachers and 6,927 were allotted houses. 9,539 families were affected in the flood and 4,134 were given flats. The corporation has also installed trash booms at various points in the river to trap the waste from entering the sea.