Contracts for saplings plantation along Cooum stretch finalised

CHENNAI: Various works such as clearance of encroachments, levelling of the banks, removing solid waste, plantation of saplings and erecting barricades are being carried out on the river banks of Cooum river, on an 11.3 km stretch along the Cooum riverbanks at Rs 7.13 crore under the Chennai Rivers Rehabilitation Trust Fund, along with the Greater Chennai Corporation.

At least 64,663 traditional saplings and other small plants are to be planted along the length by the trust. A press release from the Greater Chennai Corporation stated that these works are being conducted from the Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar bridge to the MRTS bridge stretch at Rs 5.4 crore. The construction of a footpath from the MRTS bridge to the Kotturpuram bridge is being done at Rs 5.8 crore.

The 3.9 km stretch on the left side from Menambakkam bridge to Nandambakkam bridge near Meenambakkam airport runway under the Alandur zone is also being done. The plantation of saplings at an estimated cost of Rs 141 crore in the area is being done and for the 4 km on the right and the saplings are being planted at an estimated cost of Rs 117 crore.

Additionally, the banks were levelled in 4 areas on the banks of the Cooum river in Royapuram, Ambattur and Valasaravakkam under the Greater Chennai Corporation, and traditional tree saplings such as Arasa tree, Banyan tree, Makizham, Malaivembu, Ashoka tree, Poovarasu, Bungan, Kalyana Moringa, Neem, Illupai, Guava and other 43 species are to be planted.

The contracts for this have been finalised and the levelling of the banks is currently underway. The plantation of 15,000 saplings is to be undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 1.73 crore in the Royapuram zone.

The stretch from the Napier bridge to Quaid-e-Millath bridge is about 21km and the plantation of 14,300 saplings, including mangrove plants, is to be undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 1.78 crore in the area. The 1.3 km stretch from Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospital campus to Padi Kuppam in the Ambattur zone will also get 14,050 saplings at an estimated cost of Rs.104 crore in the area and 21,313 saplings at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.58 crore will be planted in the Valasaravakkam zone.