The Chennai Corporation is in a scramble to clear debris and garbage from the Cooum River after finding that illegal dumping of waste in the waterway has increased significantly, with the total quantity crossing one lakh tonnes.
Following reports of widespread dumping of municipal solid waste and construction debris, the State government has asked the civic body to remove them from the river.
“Clearing construction debris is a major challenge. We will begin to remove all such material shortly,” said an official.
More than 86,000 tonnes of construction debris have been found dumped along the river. In addition to it, municipal solid waste amounts to 18,144 tonnes.
“The quantity of construction debris dumped along the river is huge. The Corporation will control people from dumping such material in the future. We have been asked by senior officials to show consistent progress in clearing debris,” said an official.
Officials said teams of corporation workers have started work along many stretches, removing 8,451 tonnes of garbage and 3,5174 tonnes of construction debris.
“We have already fixed a trash boom barrier on the Cooum near Ethiraj College. More boom barriers would be commissioned at nine locations. The estimated cost is ₹86 lakh,” said an official.
Many residents have complained to civic officials that waste trapped by the boom barriers have become an eyesore, stressing on the need for clearing of such waste regularly.
Eviction drive
So far, the civic body has carried out evictions along 4.86 km of the river. Eviction drive would be carried out along the remaining length of 16.47 km of the river shortly. Boundary of the river along a total of 3.37 km has been marked so far. At least 20.55 km of the river is yet to have a clear demarcation of its boundary.
Officials said construction of retaining wall is expected to reduce dumping of waste in the river. However, the work continues to be delayed even after the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance has been obtained a few months ago.
The Corporation has completed work on just 1.52 km of the river in the area not covered under CRZ, completing pile, column and beam work. But work on masonry and grill has been completed along only 380 metre of the river.
The work started last year in areas not covered under the coastal regulations. More than 9.2 km of the river under CRZ and 13.2 km of the river not falling under CRZ would get a wall this year, an official said.