For Chennai, no State budget seems complete without allocation for the city’s rivers restoration. The maiden budget of the TVK-led government also promises restoration of the Cooum and the Adyar rivers.

Presenting the budget in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday, Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson said the government would strive with the “utmost resolve to restore the Cooum and the Adyar to their natural state.”

Boat rides

Drawing parallels with Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon and Singapore’s Kallang, he said the government would invite global tenders and prepare detailed feasibility and project reports to transform both the rivers into Chennai’s defining landmarks. He outlined an ambitious goal of making the rivers clean for boat rides.

A detailed project report for Adyar river restoration was already under preparation for a scheme announced under the Hybrid Annuity Model by the previous regime. Sources noted that the project report is awaiting a few clarifications. While some improvement works proposed by the Water Resources Department have been completed, a detailed project report was being prepared for the Cooum. The reports may be refined in line with the new government’s priorities.

The ₹3,108-crore Ring Main Pipeline project announced by the previous regime during the last fiscal also found a place in the budget. Sources said preliminary work is in progress to construct the circular pipeline, which will connect all major drinking water sources in Chennai with distribution points. The project, which aims to provide equitable and uninterrupted water supply, would be completed by 2030-31.

The circular pipeline for the city was designed to handle a flow of 1,762 million litres of water a day, which is the projected water demand for 2057. The project would be expanded to cover the entire Chennai Metropolitan Area in phases, sources said.

The State government has also promised to take steps to expedite river interlinking initiatives. Mr. Wilson noted that the Cauvery - Vaigai - Gundar river linking project would commence this year with an initial fund allocation of ₹150 crore. It would also allocate ₹50 crore towards preparing detailed project reports for other river linking projects, including Pennaiyar - Cheyyar.