In Part 2 of the series, K.Lakshmi examines how the river came to be polluted and how over the past century several committees were set up and several crores spent to clean it up. But nothing has happened – and nothing seems to be happening
What starts as a freshwater source becomes an eyesore when it reaches Poonamallee. In the last five decades, committees were formed, studies made and to restore the Cooum to its original glory. But, a Cooum without sewage still remains a distant dream.
In its 72 km run to the sea, just 18 km come under city limits. A landmark of the city, the waterway bifurcates beneath Col.Law's bridge near Chintadripet into north and south arm and meets again near Napier bridge.
Historians have recorded that Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, a philanthropist in Madras Presidency, would regularly bathe in the river before offering prayers at the Komaleeswaranpet temple, Chintadripet, in the 1790s. There are records showing that the river was used by residents from the north to bring flowers by coracles to festivals at the Komaleeswaran temple. Until the 1950s, the river was clean and was an important source of groundwater recharge.
Rapid urbanisation only reduced the waterway into a carrier of sewage with plastics, thermocol and other waste floating.
To sustain the opening at its estuary, the earliest recorded proposal was in 1890. It was to provide a link canal to connect the river with the harbour. One of the main challenges to ensure free water flow in the river is the formation of sand bars near Napier bridge caused by a littoral drift. The Water Resources Department (WRD) gets Rs.10 lakh every year to de-weed and dredge the estuary.
A total of 11 suggestions came up between 1905 and 2000 to help tidal flushing and prevention of stagnation. One of the early projects implemented to clean the river was Cooum Improvement Scheme, inaugurated by the then Chief Minister C.N.Anna Durai in September 1967.
Officials of the WRD recalled that the project implemented between 1968-73 involved construction of a sand pump and regulator, and also beautifying the stretch between Chetpet and Napier bridge. Boat jetties were also built for short rides on the Cooum. However, the project worth Rs.2.2 crore could not be sustained because the design of the regulator proved inadequate and the problems developed in sand pump in three years.
Several studies, such as that by Seven Trent Consultancy in 1991 and Mott Macdonald that came up with projects worth Rs.34.8 crore in 1994, were undertaken to improve the waterway.
While all the initiatives till the turn of the century were more of a piecemeal approach, a comprehensive Chennai City River Conservation project was started at a cost of Rs.1,200 crore. Funded substantially by the Central Government in 2001, it sought to strengthen the sewerage network and plug sewage outfalls.
Some of the treatment plants of Chennai Metrowater, which was to be built in the Rs.750 crore allotted, were constructed under the CCRCP. Former officials of Metrowater said the problems were not fully addressed as the capacity for which it was planned did not match the requirements of the city's burgeoning population. It did not help arrest sewage outfalls, either.
Nearly 100 million litres of sewage is still being let out by residents living along the banks into the city waterways. Sources in the Metrowater said of this, about 30 per cent of the raw sewage gets into the Cooum river. About 340 sewage outfalls were identified into the waterways, some of them are connected from manholes to the Cooum. The biochemical oxygen demand is reported to be more than 375 mg/l in the river at various locations.
Measures are afoot to strengthen the inadequate sewage collection and conveyance system in the 12 five year plan, they said.
The eco-restoration of the Cooum and its tributaries took shape once again in 2008 with the formation of Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust. The ambitious project targeted multi-pronged approach and even drew up a package of solutions along with World Bank at a projected cost Rs.2,300 crore, sources at CRRT said. “We found that the problems start from city fringes where sewer tankers dumped loads of raw sewage into the Cooum. Floating garbage clogs 75 per cent of the river width,” sources said.
A team comprising officials from various departments visited San Antonio River Authority in Texas, USA in 2008 to study its restoration. Another team headed by the then Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin visited the Singapore river in 2009.
The significant works include encroachment removal in a few parts and creation of parks and parking space as in Langs Garden Road and Dams Road. Eviction of encroachment along the banks poses a problem. A total of 15,000 encroachments were identified and only a minimal of sewage outfalls were plugged.
So far, only 8-10 per cent of the work has been completed. The memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise did not take off as the project cost of Rs.33 crore was not viable then. The CRRT then held a meeting with experts from research organisations and universities here. By then there was a change of regime.
The project now is dormant for the past few months except for schemes devised by Metrowater for improving sewerage pipeline capacity, creating more treatment facility as suggested by CRRT.
Keywords: Cooum river, Cooum pollution, water pollution, waste management
The Emergency, followed by anti-dravidan propaganda by vested interests
is the reason why the city and TN is not being developed! Look at the
ECR project, the Veeraanam project, MRTS and Sethu project are all
shelved by successive governments who spread only hatred against DMK and
done nothing for development of state.
Coovam river is getting permenantly buried in the name of elevated road. Bugginham Canal was buried similarly in the name of MRTS. Dont know why the elevated road from Port-Maduravoyal should choose over Coovam river. Perhaps, river on its own does file petition, easy target for the land... It is getting permenant damage... We loose the hope 'if not now at least in future...'. Hope The Hindu a responsible publication writes about this to bring awareness among people..
A history of Thames river in London reveals how a similar situation was
rectified and now Thames flows as a great navigation channel and river.
A practical solution to combine the Coovum and Buckingham canal into a
navigable channel is feasible, if experts' reports are implemented. Our
politicians and rulers have to have a sincere heart to fulfill this
dream!
The big corporations of the city should bear the burden of cleaning up the river and in return have bragging rights for such. The river defied solutions for 75 years that I know of. The river should be divided into sections, each financed and managed by a company under the aegis of a Government agency.
We the people have to blame ourselves.There is a solution available to fix this once for all and as soon as the work starts someone will go to the court to cause a pause inimplementing.Does the govt read these comments seriously?.If there is a will there is a way.Here in US any small river or canal have frequent mini dams/lakes which serves to rechargr the ground water and at the same time makes a beutiful sight to the city or town.When will we wake up?
Disappointing and honestly i doubt things can happen any soon with the quality of the political landscape in our country. There has been no development whatsoever and the traffic, crime, housing, pollution and politics have taken for the worst. I was born and brought up here but glad that i escaped the city in the last 10 years and hate to see the city transformed into a garbage dump.
If you talk about this. All politicians they come together and
appreciate you. Immediately they will sanction crores and crores for
cleaning. After 5 yrs if you ask them 'What happened?', they will say
they put everything into the river and was washed away by the river not
leaving even a single paise.
Nothing can be done because of our politicians.
Imagine the ferry services in the coovum. Isn't that a great sight. It will reduce lot of road traffic. TN govt and the central govt has to take measures to solve this issue. Encroachments on the banks of the river must be cleared and a contract should be given to some foreign company to clear the waste water and pump some fresh water in to it. It would be a great sight to see coovum and its tributaries in full flow.
I wish the reporter had asked some of the politicians and NGOs involved in this project for
their comments also. In today's world where developments are taking place in breadth taking
speed, it is a shame that a simple cleanup work takes for ever in our corrupt country! Try
letting it to a private lease to companies and see how fast it gets done.
With the amount of tax our Chennai Corporation receives, I feel there is no dearth of funds for this work. Not really sure where all the money goes every time funding is obtained and work is started for Cooum development. We have the funds and access to technology. Only thing our corporation don't have is the 'will'. May be the government wants the people who dwell along the side of the Cooum to stay there forever so that they keep having the hope of development but will never see it happening.
We need to have the "will" not just the "wish"...
lets call this retail-pollution...
so until we as a people don't really start to care for our natural
resources and its upkeep what ever committees or plans the gov makes and
what ever money is put in nothing is going to happen...
when will we start taking responsibility as citizens...
and once people start to care you will have a million unique solutions
to the problem...
Which nation, except India, will waste its water resources? God has
given two beautiful rivers for Chennai, which can be utilized for so
many purposes, but we waste them by infusing with sewage! Whenever a
plan is drawn by government it should also get the concurrence of
opposition members so that the progress of the project is not curtailed
by change of government. Governments may come and governments may go but
the state has to go on to reach progress and prosperity.
It is said that lot of things can be achieved if the question, "who gets the credit?" is ignored. In any public work the decision is delayed because everyone wants to get the credit (read money) for doing it. Cooum can be cleaned if you stop the sewage. You can stop the sewage if it gets another easy way to get out and probably in to the sea. Provide alternative for the sewage to flow. Create a buffer zone on either banks and prevent settlements and lay pipe lines large enough to carry the sewage to treatment plants and then let it go to the sea. Such pipe lines can be laid like a network. Any ordinary person can think in these lines. To DO we need the will and we need people who love Chennai. Present government with its brutal majority can get the ball rolling. Importantly the work must be completed within 3 years. No more time to be wasted on analysis and reports by Consultants, IIT etc. COmmonsense shall prevail.
Various officials and politicians have spent valuable monetary resources visiting San Antonio, Singapore etc. including our erstwhile Mayor and nothing came of these trips. Clearly, these were light-hearted pleasure trips that were not intended to solve a problem that the city faces. All great cities of the world respect their water-bodies and rivers. Madras is a serious exception. Something needs to be done to rejuvenate the Cooum and fast.
Nothing has happened and remains seems to be nothing happen. Mrs. LAKSHMI COMMENTS, absolutely correct and true, till we have poor
political leaders administration this sort unsettled solutions, problem, waste of precious money will help them to get vote, voting people always expecting more first, and disappointed later.
this is happening today. and will continue, so its seem to be nothing happen?
When it comes to matters of public administration, we indians suffer a chronic problem of initiative and commitment. Our general attitude is give "amazing" ideas for problems but never to convert them into actions. Look at us! Discussing problems of cooum on the internet! How many of us have really made a difference (insignificant though it may be) to help the river?
There is no point in discussing about this amongst ourselves. Let the river die sooner than later. We can save ourselves of this futile discussions.
A very lucid series of articles. One is tempted to ask, how much of the millions spent on Cooum restoration work was swallowed up by corrupt politicians and their cronies in the building trade!! Then as now, bribery and corruption was rampant.
Can I also question Ms. Lakshmi's terminology? The bridge at Chindadripet was Hamiltons Bridge--which became Ambattan Varavathi in Tamil and got re-translated into Barber's bridge. Langdons Garden became London Thottam! Eldam's road still remains, I hope. It is the Severn and Trent Consultancy--a river system in England. The Chetpet bridge was Munro Bridge, built in 1832. A history of the bridges across the Cooum would make interesting reading. Perhaps your Madras Musings columnist Mr. Muthiah may take this up??? Continue the good work.
The prime most strategy that needs to be followed is bring an awareness among residents living around the coovam. Media can help a lot in this. Once self awareness is created and people realise that this is "Namma naadu" things will surely fall in place
We Tamils are incapable to make wonders like Cholas did. Once we were Warriers but now we become Worshipers. We worship selfish leaders like MGR and Karunanidhi. Collectively, we are not able to build a Secratariate then Imagine how we going to restore the Glory of Cooum River. Cooum is a magical river, reflects the Morality, Honesty, Integrity and Ethics of a community. The cleanliness of the river shows , how clean by heart we are. Therefore, it is important to clean our mind and heart.
Sir, IIT and Universities can be askesed by TN govt. to get a project plan to solve the coovam issue. nowdays, there are lot of technology are available to solve any promblems to any persons or institutions. The only matter is fund and proper administration to acchive the aim.
It is a very simple case when it comes to Cooum. The reason for its present pathetic state is the discharge of the untreated sewage into the river and the mushrooming of slums along its banks and the sole reason for this is the callous attitude of the corrupt politicians and officials.
a precious asset of the city which ruined due to poor maintenance and lack of study done by the officials.the water from cooum river will be extremely helpful to millions of residents in the city.strict actions must be taken against the sewage dwellers and the residents polluting the river.a through study,proper funding and dedicated government is the only solution to solve this problem.
The state of the Cooum reflects the mind of the people.The cleaning
up has to begin from the seaward end.The procedure is step by step.
First the outlet of sewage into the river in the areas close to the
sea has to be blocked and fresh water flushing for about five
kilometres should be done.That takes the cleanup to five kms above
and there land can be made available for sewage treatment plants
and water filtration. The lower reaches should be given to
different people,industries and colleges for creating parks and
walkaways . Initially it is expensive and in two years the water
conserved through treatment will make it pay for itself.The Botany
Departments can assist in planting suitable varieties for student
study.As it becomes better each householder can pay Rs.100 per year
as betterment charges.
the ideal solution would be making airators throughout the places where drainage mixes with coovam and build small dams till it enters city with chola type rain water canal creation to the dams. the water stored in the dams has to be used for steady flow of water in coovam and can utilized for aeration as well as for all other purposes.
The report shows that there is significant money involved in the repeated 'clean up' campaigns. Does this point out to a syndicate that is determined not to clean up coovum, but to use it as a source of funding? How many contractors and politicians were benefitted from the several clean-up campaigns..?
Our Cooum!!!!!!!! After all we are fighting with neighboring states for Krishna, Mullaiperiyar etc.. Why not we raise our agitation against the cleaning of this river..Not only this river.. we have Paalaar(milky river- now only milky sands, that also taken away for construction), Thenn pennai, Manimuthar River,Vaigai River etc….. We have so many rivers. Like this in our Tamizhnadu. atleast we shall spend on improving the water source.. Who have to think for this..It Is we & Government …..
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