GCC hastens river restoration project in city

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has sped up the long pending river restoration project of the Cooum and Adyar rivers under the Chennai Rivers Rehabilitation Trust (CRRT) fund.

Several works are being carried out by the civic body authorities including encroachment eviction drives, solid waste cleared from the water bodies, planting saplings, and installing barricades on the riverbanks.

A pathway has been constructed from Thiru Vi Ka Nagar bridge to the MRTS bridge near the Adyar riverbank at an estimated cost of Rs 5.4 crore, and at least 60,000 saplings planted there. At present, 13,456 saplings are planted from the Meenambakkam bridge near the airport runway to Nandambakkam bridge on Adyar river in Alandur zone.

A total cost of Rs 1.17 crore was allocated for the same.

From Napier bridge to Quaid-E-Millath bridge and from the latter to Law’s Bridge, 14,300 saplings of native trees such as neem, Ashoka, Guava, and banyan trees are to be planted. In zone 5 (Royapuram zone), the corporation authorities will remove encroachments along the riverbanks, construct compound wall, and plant 14,300 saplings in the area.

“At present, we’re doing river bund development such as plantation and building fence along the river in the boundary allotted by the officials of Water Resources Department. We’ve covered most of the place with only 100-200 metres of work left in both Cooum and Adyar rivers. However, there are several places where the WRD was unable to show us the boundary,” explained D Sneha, Deputy Commissioner, Education.

Trash bins have been installed across the river, which would collect garbage and prevent from flowing into the sea. “We’ll regularly remove solid waste in the water bodies. Regular monitoring would be done too to prevent pollution after the restoration work is completed. This part of the maintanence work,” she added.

Meanwhile, the WRD stated they’ve desilted and strengthened the bunds of Cooum and Adyar rivers. But several works including eviction drives of illegal encroachments near the riverbanks are yet to be cleared.

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At present, we’re doing river bund development such as plantation, building fence along the river and covered most of the place with only 100-200 metres of work left in both Cooum and Adyar rivers

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- D Sneha, Deputy Commissioner, Education