CHENNAI: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and related departments, spotlighting the alarming pollution levels in the Adyar River.
Acting on its own initiative, the tribunal responded to a Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) report from October 2024, which revealed severe contamination, including fecal coliform levels at 1,026 MPN per 100ml—over ten times the permissible limit of 100 MPN per 100ml. Total coliform concentrations reached 7,500 MPN per 100ml, signaling widespread bacterial pollution.
The TNPCB report also said dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were nil, far below the 4 mg/L needed to sustain aquatic life, while biological oxygen demand (BOD) hit 30 mg/L (against a 3 mg/L standard) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) soared to 136 mg/L.
This unfolds against the backdrop of the state’s Rs 744.60 crore Adyar River Restoration Project (ARRP), aimed at reviving the 42-km river from Adhanur Lake to its mouth. Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru recently told the Assembly, "The proposed and ongoing activities of ARRP are under various stages of implementation by concerned line departments and are expected to be completed soon." He added, "Thus far, Rs 497.36 crore has been disbursed to various implementing agencies based on the work progress."