CHENNAI: Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), consultant for the Cooum restoration project, will come out with proposals for preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) by July end.

A four-member delegation from Singapore, led by SCE-international partnerships manager Dennis Neo, visited the city early this month and made a field study along the Cooum river bank and held detailed discussions with stakeholders. It also collected details from various line departments, including the city corporation, Metrowater, slum clearance board, pollution control board and public works department, involved in the ambitious Cooum clean-up project. However, the DPR would be ready only in early 2011, official sources said.

The team had also sought a high resolution satellite image of the 65-km-long river for making a detailed study, but the Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna University, entrusted with the task of taking satellite images of the city, needed six more months to submit its report, the sources added.

The Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT), formed by the government with a mandate to restore rivers and water bodies in the city, entered into a memorandum of understanding with the SCE on March 18. Besides drawing up a conceptual master plan for Cooum restoration, the SCE will also provide technical assistance during project implementation and in training of officers. The entire project has been planned to be completed in 10 years.

Though the erstwhile Cooum Sub-basin Restoration and Management unit has already prepared a master plan at an estimated cost of Rs 1200 crore, the Singapore agency is expected to suggest some innovative technology as it has a fool-proof system in sewage treatment and solid waste management.

Based on the SCE's suggestions, the total project cost would be estimated and funds would be sought from the Union government as well as from financial agencies like the World Bank, the sources said.