Chennai: Tamil Nadu govt in the budget on Wednesday announced plans to restore the Cooum and Adyar rivers yet again through global tenders, reviving efforts to clean up the city’s two most polluted waterways. A detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared for the project, with govt aiming to transform the rivers on the lines of successful restorations in Seoul and Singapore.The announcement came as chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s municipal administration and water supply (MAWS) department received a higher allocation of ₹29,863 crore in the 2026-27 budget, up from ₹26,678 crore last year.Finance minister N Marie Wilson said successive govts that held office in the past squandered several hundred crores of people’s tax money in the name of cleansing and beautifying the Adyar and Cooum. “But no meaningful change was brought. Rivers such as Cheonggyecheon in Seoul and Kallang in Singapore have, through rejuvenation, become identities spoken across the world. TN govt will ensure that the public can boat upon the Cooum and Adyar, children can play in the waters and people can exercise along the riverbanks while breathing clean and unpolluted air,” he said.The initiatives will be taken up under the chief minister’s newly launched ‘Integrated Urban Development Mission’, which brings all development works under one roof. The budget also proposed strengthening flood walls along Chennai’s major waterways to improve their carrying capacity and reduce flooding.The previous DMK govt had allotted ₹1,500 crore for Adyar River Restoration in 2022, and Metrowater prepared a detailed feasibility report. But the project never took off as govt did not remove encroachments along key downstream areas such as Saidapet and Kotturpuram.A senior MAWS official said the restoration will be comprehensive end-to-end. “We have initiated a DPR to identify the requirements, funding and bottlenecks. In Cooum, National Highways Authority of India is constructing its Port-Maduravoyal corridor. By the time we finish our DPR, their project will be over, and Cooum will be ready for restoration,” said the official, adding that the chief minister has directed them to begin the restoration soon.S Janaki, water resources department (WRD) chief engineer, said the DPR is likely to be taken up at a cost of ₹25 crore for both rivers together. “These will be presented in our budget demand later this month. We will identify floodplain zones where retaining walls are required in low-lying zones, identify fresh sewage treatment plant capacities and a complete drone survey,” she said.Earlier this week, WRD minister N Anand inspected the Thideer Nagar area, and has initiated discussions on relocation of residents.
