The Chennai Corporation has started removing bottlenecks to ensure free flow of the Cooum river. On Tuesday, it removed remnants of old bridges at various points of the river to drain polluted water that stagnated nearby.
The work is under way in Kilpauk zone. Work in the other two zones would be taken up later. The Cooum flows through the zones of Kilpauk, Nungambakkam and Triplicane over a total length of 16 km. Localities near the old bridges across the river would be the focus of the drive, according to officials of the Corporation. The civic body also made the river accessible for health workers by removing bushes along identified stretches. The drive has made way for spraying of pesticide to control mosquito larvae at some stretches, an official of the Health Department said.
The civic body has also been removing garbage along the banks. A chunk of the garbage along the river bank continues to be dumped near bridges. The Corporation has also directed officials of the three zones to undertake massive cleaning operations every month. The civic body undertook a mass cleaning programme last year and removed 835 tonnes of solid waste dumped along the river. It would also resume campaigns to create awareness among residents soon.
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