River Cooum Continues to Suffer from Debris Menace Despite Removal Efforts

Despite efforts to curb debris dumping along the banks of the River Cooum, the environmental menace persists, with the latest incident occurring in Mehta Nagar, Aminjikarai.

Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 20 truckloads of waste, including broken tube lights, pillows, and demolished construction materials, were unlawfully deposited along the riverbanks, originating from a nearby construction site. While the Water Resources Department (WRD) has undertaken initiatives to remove over 200 encroachments at Kakkan Nagar and Mehta Nagar, the absence of boundary walls has allowed miscreants to trespass and continue dumping waste along the Cooum riverbanks. This issue exacerbates the environmental challenges faced by the river, alongside the large-scale dumping and levelling of the core riverbed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for its ambitious ₹5,885-crore, 20.9-km Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway corridor.

Despite ongoing legal battles regarding the north side of the Cooum, WRD officials have finalized coordinates for boundary walls and intend to request the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to expedite their construction. The continued dumping of debris along the River Cooum underscores the urgent need for collaborative efforts between government agencies and local communities to address environmental degradation and safeguard the ecological integrity of this vital waterway.