For Coimbatore residents to have a pollution-free River Noyyal, the Coimbatore Corporation has embarked on a project.
The project is to preserve and develop the ecology of the river, the fauna and flora that are a part, stop pollution, provide easy access to the river for the public and explore if stretches of river front can be developed for recreation, says a tender document the corporation has prepared to appoint a consultant.
From the date of appointment, the consultant will have to study the topography, hydrological details, inventory the natural resources, current land use patterns, identify intervention points for facilitating sustainable development of the river's resources.
The document also speaks about eco-restoration of the river, revamping its beds, construction of mobility corridors along a few stretches of the river and identification of slums, encroachments and ways for removing those.
Besides these, the corporation wants the consultant three financial models that will help maintenance of the assets that will be created during the execution of the projects.
And, the consultant will have to submit the detailed project report within four months.
Corporation sources say this is the very first step of what the corporation proposes to do to develop Noyyal.
After the consultant prepares the report, the corporation will submit the same to Central and State governments to look for funding under a relevant scheme.
They, however, clarify that the corporation intends to develop only about 18 – 20 km of the stretch of the 180-km long river that flows in the city limits.
They add that even if the corporation is unable to secure a funding in the immediate future, the readiness of the report will give it a head start whenever Central or State governments announce a project involving water bodies.