CHENNAI: In a push to revive one of Tamil Nadu's most polluted water bodies, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has invited bids to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Ennore Creek Restoration Initiative (ECRI).
The project, which is part of the World Bank-supported Tamil Nadu SHORE (Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resources and Blue Economy) programme, aims to restore the severely degraded Ennore Creek into a resilient blue-green infrastructure asset.
According to TNPCB, the restoration initiative will focus on six key outcomes: hydrological connectivity, reducing pollution loads, reviving biodiversity, including nearly 500 hectares of mangroves, enhancing climate resilience, improving local livelihoods, and strengthening digital governance mechanisms.
Bids have been invited from private firms and research institutions with expertise in coastal ecosystem restoration, hydrodynamic modelling, and climate risk planning.
The selection will be carried out through a Quality cum Cost Based Selection (QCBS) process.
The agency will handle nine interconnected work packages, including baseline environmental diagnostics, pollution load assessment, stakeholder consultations, and the design of nature-based solutions.
Officials said the DPR will serve as a long-term roadmap for ecological recovery while ensuring social inclusion and community participation in the restoration process.
Once a thriving ecological system, Ennore Creek has witnessed decades of damage due to rapid industrialisation, untreated sewage discharge, and fly ash dumping.
It is worth noting that an oil spill recorded in 2023, which was exacerbated by floods following Cyclone Michaung, led to the extension of the oil into Buckingham Canal and Ennore Creek.
These pressures have led to the collapse of natural hydrology, loss of biodiversity, and increased vulnerability of surrounding communities to climate risks.