The Hindu 25.11.2011
Cooum riverbed stinks with construction debris, solid waste
Scene of squalor: Construction debris being dumped along the Cooum river
in Chintadripet for creation of approach roads. — Photo: K.Pichumani
Dumping of construction debris and municipal solid waste
on the river-bed of the Cooum is on the rise. As part of studying the
impact of dumping of solid waste and construction debris, the Chennai
River Restoration Trust (CRRT) has collected water samples from the
river and handed over to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB)
for analyses.
The CRRT would make efforts to control
the reckless dumping of solid waste and construction debris citing
reasons pertaining to construction of elevated link road from Chennai
Port to Maduravoyal.
A few months ago, the CRRT had
asked the Chennai Corporation to chalk out an action plan to remove
construction debris dumped on the banks of the Cooum River. This was in
response to the steady decrease in the width of the river in the city
limits on account of the dumping of the debris.
Experts
at the CRRT had also asked the civic body to keep vigil and take
measures to prevent the dumping of construction debris by private
entities.
However, after the Public Works Department
permitted the creation of temporary roads in the ‘flood plain’ of the
river to facilitate infrastructure projects, the construction debris are
being dumped in the ‘river bed’ itself in many areas. This has reduced
the width of the river bed in such areas.
According
to PWD sources, the debris on the flood plain of the river would be
removed after the piling work is completed by National Highways
Authority of India.
Reduction of river bed
As
PWD officials have not mentioned the optimum width of the approach
roads, dumping of construction debris has led to reduction in river bed
of the Cooum. This would obstruct the normal flow of the river during
the northeast monsoon, said an official of the CMDA.
The
official said that dumping of debris in waterbodies was prohibited.
Reckless dumping may also endanger the lives of people living in
low-level areas during heavy rains, the official added.
The
Chennai Corporation and the PWD have the responsibility of regulating
this dumping. Solid waste generated in newly added areas of the Chennai
Corporation is also being dumped in the river bed in the stretch between
Vanagaram and Koyambedu.
The Chennai Corporation is yet to have a proper solution to the garbage disposal problem in the newly added areas.
The
impact of the dumping of municipal solid waste on the quality of river
water would be studied after the TNSCB gives the results of the test on
water samples to the CRRT.
“Experts at the CRRT also asked the civic body to take measures to prevent dumping”