The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Chief Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government, to file a report on the restoration status of the Cooum, Adyar rivers, and Buckingham Canal, in Chennai.
Hearing a case on the waterbodies, the bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati pointed out that the Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT) was the body entrusted with coordinating and monitoring the water restoration projects.
The CRRT had informed the NGT that the restoration of Cooum and Adyar rivers was the top priority of the Tamil Nadu government, and various activities, through line departments including the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Water Resources Department (WRD), Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), Department of Rural Development (DRD) and Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB), are being implemented in this regard.
As the Chief Secretary is the chairperson of the CRRT, the Bench ordered an update on the implementation status of the projects, and the timeline required for the restoration of the Adyar, Cooum and the Buckingham Canal, to be filed.
“We are issuing this direction for obtaining instructions from the Chief Secretary (Chairman of the CRRT), as it will not be possible for us to interact with every department for the execution of the order,” the Bench said.
In November 2022, the Bench had ordered government authorities to monitor pollution and check the rampant discharge of sewage into waterbodies. It had also asked the government to remove encroachments, debris, and water hyacinths.
