CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd (TNUIFSL) has floated a Rs 23 lakh tender inviting consultancy firms to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for riverfront development along three stretches in central Chennai covering 3.7 km.
The stretches include a 500 m section from Napier Bridge to the Cooum River mouth, 1.2 km stretch from Swami Sivananda Salai to Periyar Bridge, and 2 km stretch from Link Road to Dams Road.
The project, proposed by the Chennai Rivers Transformation Company Ltd (CRTCL), aims to turn the riverfront into an accessible public space with pedestrian pathways, cycling facilities, recreational areas, cultural spaces and public amenities.
The consultant will assess the condition of river embankments and retaining structures, conduct topographical surveys and geotechnical investigations, and identify pollution sources. The study will also examine encroachments, bank erosion, and critical intervention zones.
The consultant is expected to recommend measures to prevent sewage and other wastewater from entering the river, taking into account upstream and downstream conditions. The proposals will also cover lighting, surveillance, safety measures and climate-resilient features, including flood-risk assessments and nature-based solutions. The study will assess user demand and expected footfall along all three stretches.
Plantation works are excluded from the DPR, as they will be carried out by the GCC. The civic body has already floated separate tenders worth nearly Rs 50 lakh for plantation and maintenance along the Napier Bridge and Swami Sivananda Salai stretches.
The consultant must also prepare a phased implementation strategy, identify the clearances required, assess land use and draw up an operation and maintenance plan. The DPR is to be completed within 30 days of awarding the contract.
‘Relocate cattle roaming along Cooum to govt shed’
With several cattle left to roam along the Cooum river at various spots, including Spur Tank Road, animal activists in the city have urged the civic body to relocate them to its modern cattle shed. They questioned why the animals were being kept along the river when the corporation has a dedicated facility to house them. However, as the GCC charges owners Rs 10 per day to house per cattle head, the owners often hesitate.
