CHENNAI: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss has urged the State government to take up comprehensive river restoration works across the state, stressing that it has become the need of the hour due to monsoon rains.

“With the northeast monsoon bringing heavy rains and reservoirs filling up, large quantities of surplus water are being released into rivers. However, due to the lack of proper restoration and planning, most of this water is flowing into the sea instead of reaching agricultural lands,” the senior leader said in a statement.

He added that reviving rivers and connecting them through canals would help store rainwater, recharge groundwater, support agriculture during dry seasons, and improve drinking water availability. “The restoration projects, which are being carried out to rejuvenate rivers such as Cooum and Adyar in Chennai with the Union government assistance, must be extended state-wide to restore all the rivers,” he stated.

Ramadoss also called for strict pollution control measures, industrial wastewater monitoring, expansion of sewage treatment plants, and planting of palm trees along riverbanks to prevent erosion and promote ecological balance. “River restoration is directly linked to people’s livelihoods,” he pointed out. “Both the Union and State governments must act with full commitment to restore all rivers in Tamil Nadu.”