The Hindu          01.12.2011

Survey of waste-tainted spots along Cooum

EYESORE: Solid waste dumped along the Cooum near Chintadripet on Tuesday. — Photo: M. Vedhan

The Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT) on Tuesday carried out a survey of the spots along the Cooum river where municipal solid waste was being illegally dumped.

The stretch from Maduravoyal to Chintadripet was covered as part of the survey. The CRRT has requested the zonal level officials of Chennai Corporation to immediately make efforts to curb such illegal dumping of municipal solid waste in and around the river. In some of the spots in areas such as Maduravoyal which are within the expanded limits of the Corporation, more that seven tonnes of municipal solid waste was being dumped in the river a day. The dumping of solid waste in the river was being done by residents because of the lack of preventive mechanism by the zonal level officials of the civic body, according to CRRT officials.

Some of the waste was being transported from the nearby local bodies and dumped along the stretch of the river in the areas that were merged with the Chennai Corporation recently, the officials said. In the old city limits, the dumping of municipal solid waste along the river continued to exist even after a mass cleaning programme, the officials added.

However, the quantity of solid waste dumped in the old city limits was found to be relatively less when compared to that in the merged areas. The mass cleaning programme along the Cooum was launched as part of the river restoration project last year. The programme focussed on creating awareness among over 70,000 residents living along the Cooum river in the old limits of Chennai Corporation. A proposal for sealing all sewage outfalls in the Cooum by May 2012 was also made last year.

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''