‘We need to restore rivers’: Guv takes part in Clean Cooum drive

He was launching the Clean Cooum Campaign spearheaded by the Fourth Battalion of NDRF based in Arakkonam here on Friday.

“For centuries, [Cooum] has been an integral part of the socio-economic and cultural life of the city. Till the early twentieth century, it was a clean river, suitable for navigation… According to scientists, up to around 1950, Cooum had 49 species of fish, and by the late 1970s, this had come down to 21 species. At present there are no fish in the river, owing to the toxic pollutants found in the river water,” Purohit said.

Though Cooum and Adyar rivers were covered under the National River Conservation Programme and “considerable funds” were provided to Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board in the past, the absence of a comprehensive plan to save the river resulted in the pollution continuing unabated, he said.

The cleanliness drive, to be carried out twice a month for the next few months to bring down the level of pollution in the river, would initially be taken up at Koyambedu, Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam, Spurtank Road, Albert theatre, Apollo hospital, Chintadripet and near Napier Bridge.

About 1,500 volunteers from various government and non-governmental organisations, including the Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Greater Chennai Corporation, Nehru Yuvak Kendra, National Cadet Corps and Indian Red Cross are expected to take part in the effort, noted Governor Purohit.

NDRF Director General SN Pradhan, Ashish Bhengra of SDRF, Rekha Nambiar, Commandant of NDRF’s 4th Battalion and others took part.