CHENNAI: In yet another attempt to revive Chennai’s polluted waterways, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday announced that it will invite global tenders to prepare a Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the restoration of the Cooum and Adyar rivers.
Presenting the revised budget, Finance Minister N Marie Wilson said the vision is to restore the rivers to a condition where residents can enjoy boating, children can safely play in the water, and people of all ages can walk or exercise along clean and unpolluted riverbanks.
“In the older projects, though there were various components, the focus was mainly on removal of encroachment, rehabilitation of families living along the riverbanks, construction of compound walls, and other Water Resources Department works but not much focus on riverfront works. Earlier, the works were carried out by the respective departments, while it may be different this time,” a senior official of the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT) told TNIE.
According to the official, the global request for proposal will focus more riverfront development and on improving water quality by removing sewage outfalls through trunk sewer lines while simultaneously developing recreational spaces, walkways, cycling tracks and flood mitigation infrastructure along the riverbanks.
“The consultant who will be engaged will study restoration works carried out in other cities, and based on those findings, the works will be undertaken,” the official said.
“As part of earlier projects, we had removed some sewage outfalls, including those carrying 2-3 MLD of sewage. Around 23,000 families have been relocated from areas along the Cooum, and 12,000 families from along the Adyar River. At present, only a limited number of families remain, and they will also be rehabilitated to facilitate the project,” the official added.
Since the establishment of CRRT in 2010, efforts have focused on improving the ecological health of the rivers, enhancing flood-carrying capacity, and intercepting sewage outfalls. However, eliminating untreated sewage discharge and removing encroachments along the riverbanks have remained the biggest challenges, with several projects facing prolonged delays.
“Chennai has embraced us and become an inseparable part of who we are. It grieves many of us that the Adyar and the Cooum, rivers that once met the city’s drinking-water needs, have today been reduced to little more than channels of sewage.
Successive governments that held office in the past squandered several hundred crores of tax money in the name of cleansing and beautifying them. Yet, no meaningful change was ever brought,” the finance minister said during the budget speech.
Rs 29,863 crore allocated to MAWS department
The state government has allocated `29,863 crore to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department in the revised budget estimates for 2026-27. The allocation is `1,636 crore higher than the interim budget outlay.
Under the MAWS department, the minister announced plans to develop people-friendly streets in all municipal corporations by creating modern urban thoroughfares with proper road connectivity, dedicated pedestrian pathways, separate cycling lanes, well-connected cross-streets, junction improvements, safe school access networks, and modern LED street lighting.
Other key announcements
1. Implementation of an Intelligent Transport Management System to improve urban transport is in the final stages
2. Blue-green infrastructure projects will be undertaken around waterbodies across the city, including raising retaining walls and installing chain-link fencing to improve flood mitigation
3. The Ring Main Pipeline project, which will connect Chennai’s major drinking water sources with distribution stations across the city, is being implemented at an estimated cost of `3,108 crore and is expected to be completed by 2031
4. A street redesign and urban mobility project will be taken up, focusing on pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, universal accessibility and better urban design. The project will include smart parking management at 20 locations across the city
5. To expand Chennai’s green canopy and create people-centric public spaces, footpaths along major routes and residential zones will also undergo greening and beautification