Chennai - Waterways Cleaning and Restoration Project Updates

[Inchara]

Coovum is neither broad nor deep. No matter what you do, I dont think it is possible to make it into a venice. The water will dry up every summer...

[JoePugal]

Singapore river was much worse in the early 70's and after concerted effort from the Singapore govt, it is so much cleaner and thrives with activity..



Same can happen to Koovam....

[satchitananda]

There are some basics which do not need any new technology or science to achieve this worthwhile goal.

a) Stop all sewer inflow - be it regulated or not
b) Get the banks to be clean (very touchy vote bank... no one is gonna do that and the river will never be clean without this step)
c) Have an integrated waterbody management policy which shows respect to this precious resource.
d) Conserve the excess monsoonal wasted waterflow by creating new tanks or atleast increasing the capacity of existing ones by dredging or desilting.
(For example every year Kortaliyar, north of chennai discharges so much excess water during monsoons which can be conserved. Perhaps thats the only time the river carries water)
e) Desilt the cooum mouth more periodically.
f) Regulate the water table levels not to fall below certain thresholds.

Most of these are policy decisions or a matter of enforcing the existing laws. What is sad is Politicans are looting in the name of Cooum cleanup. General public ignorant of their small actions are literally adding to the misery.

What can we do...

Begin small.. Be it as trivial as saying no to Plastic bags. DO NOT use or litter plastics. Use a Tote bag which I remember was basic essential for shopping when I grew up. EVERY ACTION (OR INACTION) COUNTS.

Together we can build a great city and nation.

[mehulkamdar]

Some of us expat Channaites suggested to the MAyor about a year and a half ago through the offices fo a prominent Chennai based journalist that a new technology had been developed at Texas A & M University to convert sewage into a kind of synthetic crude which could be processed in refineries into gasoline for use in vehicles. This is based on a patented catalyst that has been developed and financed by a Texas company called Terrabon LLC. Gasoline produced through this process is already being sold in the USA and at lower prices than crude derived gasoline. We did not hear back, but hope that this is under consideration - while waste is unavoidable in a large city where millions of people live in close proximity to each other, merely dredging the Cooum and Adayar Rivers and sending it into the sea will only pollute the sea around our beautiful coast. Processing the sewage into fuel will not only prevent the sewage from spoiling the delicate coastal ecology, it would also save precious foreign exchange. Let us face facts here - people are not going to stop eating, and, therefore, they are not going to stop producing waste. Why not use this to drive cars instead of letting it mess up our coasts?

And, more importantly, why not lead the way in telling the rest of India what to do with its waste beginning with Chennai? I would love to see this happen in the city of my birth!

[ranga]

Originally Posted by mehulkamdar

Some of us expat Channaites suggested to the MAyor about a year and a half ago through the offices fo a prominent Chennai based journalist that a new technology had been developed at Texas A & M University to convert sewage into a kind of synthetic crude which could be processed in refineries into gasoline for use in vehicles. This is based on a patented catalyst that has been developed and financed by a Texas company called Terrabon LLC. Gasoline produced through this process is already being sold in the USA and at lower prices than crude derived gasoline. We did not hear back, but hope that this is under consideration - while waste is unavoidable in a large city where millions of people live in close proximity to each other, merely dredging the Cooum and Adayar Rivers and sending it into the sea will only pollute the sea around our beautiful coast. Processing the sewage into fuel will not only prevent the sewage from spoiling the delicate coastal ecology, it would also save precious foreign exchange. Let us face facts here - people are not going to stop eating, and, therefore, they are not going to stop producing waste. Why not use this to drive cars instead of letting it mess up our coasts?

And, more importantly, why not lead the way in telling the rest of India what to do with its waste beginning with Chennai? I would love to see this happen in the city of my birth!

Hope this not a hoax Like the RAMAR PILLAY herbal fuel that happened in TN in the late ninties

[barrykul]

Originally Posted by satchitananda

There are some basics which do not need any new technology or science to achieve this worthwhile goal.

a) Stop all sewer inflow - be it regulated or not
b) Get the banks to be clean (very touchy vote bank... no one is gonna do that and the river will never be clean without this step)
c) Have an integrated waterbody management policy which shows respect to this precious resource.
d) Conserve the excess monsoonal wasted waterflow by creating new tanks or atleast increasing the capacity of existing ones by dredging or desilting.
(For example every year Kortaliyar, north of chennai discharges so much excess water during monsoons which can be conserved. Perhaps thats the only time the river carries water)
e) Desilt the cooum mouth more periodically.
f) Regulate the water table levels not to fall below certain thresholds.

Most of these are policy decisions or a matter of enforcing the existing laws. What is sad is Politicans are looting in the name of Cooum cleanup. General public ignorant of their small actions are literally adding to the misery.

What can we do...

Begin small.. Be it as trivial as saying no to Plastic bags. DO NOT use or litter plastics. Use a Tote bag which I remember was basic essential for shopping when I grew up. EVERY ACTION (OR INACTION) COUNTS.

Together we can build a great city and nation.

Agreed. We don't need any extensive study or foreign visits for how cleaning of river is done. All it takes is enforcement of laws (Indian law is filled with all kinds of stuff). Step (a) will solve 80-90% of issues right of the bat. (b) involves evacuating all illegal huts on the banks - this would address the rest 10%. Others are routine maintenance issues.

Concurrent to clean up of rivers, there should be a concerted move to clean up the city. I still see filth in certain congested pockets of the city and they all happen to be vote-bank areas, slum development, etc. People in India have a peculiar sense of private vs public cleanliness. They clean out their private trash and dump into public places, does not make any sense at all. Each of us can contribute by not resorting to throwing trash in public areas.

[mehulkamdar]

Originally Posted by ranga

Hope this not a hoax Like the RAMAR PILLAY herbal fuel that happened in TN in the late ninties

Ranga,

Terrabon's website is: http://www.terrabon.com/ and any chemical engineer knows that several methods are available to use sewage as a fuel - whether this is by using methane extraction from the sewage, using it (the sewage) to feed algae which are processed, or in a catalytic process like Terrabon's.

Ramar Pillay could get away because there were too many interests who wanted to try and sell solvents illegally as fuel. You can use SBP, Toluene etc to run your vehicle at the expense of poor performance, worse emissions and increased wear and tear. This is what gas station owners sometimes ue to adulterate vehicle fuel in India.

As far as Terrabon's technology is concerned, it is used in a country where you're not very likely to get away with Ramar Pillay style claims. Neither, for that matter, can you find SBP or other solvents to adulterate gasoline if you want to do that either.

[mehulkamdar]

PS While stopping sewage is all very good, where will it be let if it is stopped? On land? Please note that there has to be a process to make this waste safe. The options are to either use a sewage treatment plant to destroy it using oxidation or another chemical process, or to let out into the sea as is being done now, if you want to use old tech. The newer ideas (especially in an age where carbon regulation is considered a preferred option) is to use this carbon rich material usefully. There are technologies available to do this - the Russians even make synthetic diamonds out of methane extracted from sewage and process the slurry into fertilizer which is used for forestry. In the USA and much of Europe, the same thing was done - until now, when algae and other methods are being used to process biodiesel etc from sewage.

Please note that body waste will be produced as long as oyu have people and they are alive - we need to eat and drink and this is a result of it. This waste cannot be wished away. If there is a way of using it usefully, that needs to be taken into consideration. if Indian software engineers can write software, there is no reason why Indian chemical engineers cannot work on adapting some technologies being used in other parts of the world to serve Indian sewage processing needs. Brainwork is something that India is capable of - why not use it in one mroe area and gain more for the country?

[kannan infratech]

Guys!
A few facts will help.
Chennai river mouths region - near Napier Bidge in Cooum and Pattinapakkam in Adyar - have a unique problem of sand silting and most of the garbages dumped into the sea along Chennai coast from Ennore to Mahabs end up in these two river mouths due to the currents in the sea.

Due to the poor flow in the rivers, the problem gets aggravated. To add more problem, some areas like Adyar and Besant Nagar are below MSL. The flow from the river to the sea is hampered.

Buckingham canal was being used as a drain channel for central and south chennai areas and suburbs and the excess water of B canal is drained into the sea through Muttukkadu lake and near Palar rivermouth.

CMWSSB which collects waste water & sewage from the Chennai area have treatment plants (Major ones at Kodungaiyur, Koyambedu, Nesappakkam, Perungudi) and minor ones are being planned in North and South.

Generally only treated effluents are only pumped or let out into the rivers and the B.canal by CMWSSB. But there are lots of unapproved tenements all over the banks let out the sewage directly into the rivers. Many polluting industries transport effluent chemicals by lorries and let out into these water channels during night.

Unless we stop these sewage / effluent inflows, cleaning up is not possible.

Please understand that we can not replicate what had been done in X, Y or Z city as each city has unique problems. But we can use latest technology which has been used elsewhere and found good. Maintenance is a very big issue since the local bodies like Chennai Corporation do not have the technical people nor the facilities.

Cleaning city rivers is a major issue for all of us. This will surely help to improve the image of Chennai. The present and past Govts have changed their ways, policies and perspective views drastically over the years for the better. Let us all hope that they will not dare to commit the past mistakes once again.

Cooum Cleaning has been entrusted to PWD as the nodal agency and CMWSSB as one of the stake holder. Please be positive and when ever possible, force the Govt. through the citizens' forums not to waste money or not to allow a shoddy job.

Let us all strive for a better looking Chennai.

[robertashok]

The Indian Technology will never be accepted by Indian Government or by Indians ourselves. Not sure when this is going to change.

I think there are so many people who just complain about Indian Government and domestic Authorities, I would like reiterate here which many of us would realise it.
The problem is with US - WE the INDIAN CITIZENS.

[kodai]

entire stretch of COOUM could have been made as IT CORRIDAR with IT buildings built on the banks, I know its too late to talk about that. we can also have a mix of luxury 2 floor condamaniums , shopping complexes, acquariums and water sport parks with boat rentals etc built on the banks so that it never gets filthy again, for continuous flow of water as i said before we have to let the sea water in and out. Also we have to raise the height of all the bridges across cooum for boat traffic. This is the only way I think we can maintain it. Letting the sea water inside cooum would also act as a levy and protect the city in case of tsunami like disasters

[arun82]

Originally Posted by kodai

entire stretch of COOUM could have been made as IT CORRIDAR with IT buildings built on the banks, I know its too late to talk about that. we can also have a mix of luxury 2 floor condamaniums , shopping complexes, acquariums and water sport parks with boat rentals etc built on the banks so that it never gets filthy again, for continuous flow of water as i said before we have to let the sea water in and out. Also we have to raise the height of all the bridges across cooum for boat traffic. This is the only way I think we can maintain it. Letting the sea water inside cooum would also act as a levy and protect the city in case of tsunami like disasters

This is already slowly happening....Citicentre, Spencer, Taj Coromandel, MRC nagar, Boat club already on the banks of the cooum. So when people dont have space they will buy the land in the banks of the river and slowly start building huge buildings. For example now the pudupet market is being shifted...what do you expect in that place. Another big posh flat built by some builder occupied by some high officials and rich people. That area will become a posh area and no other people will be allowed to enter the place.

[cofee]

Who drains sewage and industrial waste in to Coovam?

Honestly I dont know, Guys please explain.

If domestic sewage was being drained in to Coovam (in the olden days), by now don't you think the sewage would be redirected and pumped to CMWSB pumping stations?

Surely Industries cant drain waste in to coovam without government permission ( at least not in this day and age that too in the heart of a capital city)

Please enlighten this uninformed soul.

[saurabh85]

Originally Posted by cofee

Who drains sewage and industrial waste in to Coovam?

Honestly I dont know, Guys please explain.

If domestic sewage was being drained in to Coovam (in the olden days), by now don't you think the sewage would be redirected and pumped to CMWSB pumping stations?

Surely Industries cant drain waste in to coovam without government permission ( at least not in this day and age that too in the heart of a capital city)

Please enlighten this uninformed soul.

Take a ride on the MRTS and you will see !! Encroachments along the river release sewage through protruding pipes.!

[kannan infratech]

Please be enlightened now.

As Saurab says, take a ride along B Canal, Cooum and Ayar banks and you will see many tenements directly letting sewage into waterways. Even Malar hospital was warned by the corporation for dumping medical waste into adyar. MGR University was also warned for building hostels and college depts on Cooum bed.

Perungudi residents and Kodungaiyur residents are fighting for the past several years against the lorries dumping chemical sewage into the waterways / bodies there.

Alathur pharma estate near Thirupporur has spoiled the ground water of the nearby villages.

Many of the suburbs do no have the UG sewerage system in place yet. They engage private lorries to suck the sewage from their house sumps. These lorries dump them in the waterways / bodies to save the fees, which has to be paid to CMWSSB if they are delivered at the STPs.

[cofee]

Originally Posted by kannan infratech

Please be enlightened now.

As Saurab says, take a ride along B Canal, Cooum and Ayar banks and you will see many tenements directly letting sewage into waterways. Even Malar hospital was warned by the corporation for dumping medical waste into adyar. MGR University was also warned for building hostels and college depts on Cooum bed.

Perungudi residents and Kodungaiyur residents are fighting for the past several years against the lorries dumping chemical sewage into the waterways / bodies there.

Alathur pharma estate near Thirupporur has spoiled the ground water of the nearby villages.

Many of the suburbs do no have the UG sewerage system in place yet. They engage private lorries to suck the sewage from their house sumps. These lorries dump them in the waterways / bodies to save the fees, which has to be paid to CMWSSB if they are delivered at the STPs.

Adapavigala Inamum Ipadi nadakiratha?

I knew Slum tenamant would drain there sewage in to koovam but that would be a very small portion of the overall drainings.

I hope all the underground pipes from the approved housing layouts,apartments and residential areas are all connected to CMWSB or am I wrong in that too.

The hospital and industries story is shocking me.

I was told in north madras all majors such as MRL etc drain chemical refuse in to coovam (officially) is that true??

[venkatm]

CWSSB is the largest culprit. They just dump whetver comes in into the rivers without treatment.

[kodai]

it is not just regular drain I have seen lot of houses not having septic tank and letting all their toilet stuff inside cooum and adyar river, espicially near malar hospital area. There has to be a radical change with the govt policy and common people's mindset and their responsibility towords the city's cleanliness, otherwise this project is a total waste of tax payers money

:nuts
:

[kannan infratech]

Originally Posted by venkatm

CWSSB is the largest culprit. They just dump whetver comes in into the rivers without treatment.

I think your statement is far away from truth. If you are interested, please visit Koyambedu, Kodungaiyur or Nesappakkam STPs and see for yourself.

But under extra ordinary circumstances, the excess flow during rains may be diverted without treatment. During heavy rains the corporators force CMWSSB Engineers to open the drains for receiving rain water since storm water drains do not exist / do not work.

But during excess rains, the effluent becomes very diluted and so the BOD and COD contents may also be very low, closer to the treated sewage. But coliform may be present in untreated sewage.

[satchitananda]

Originally Posted by kannan infratech

I think your statement is far away from truth. If you are interested, please visit Koyambedu, Kodungaiyur or Nesappakkam STPs and see for yourself.

But under extra ordinary circumstances, the excess flow during rains may be diverted without treatment. During heavy rains the corporators force CMWSSB Engineers to open the drains for receiving rain water since storm water drains do not exist / do not work.

But during excess rains, the effluent becomes very diluted and so the BOD and COD contents may also be very low, closer to the treated sewage. But coliform may be present in untreated sewage.

Kannan, You are more than correct. The lack of proper city wide (preferably metro wide) parallel storm water system is a real killer. Lack of enforcement of direct discharge of sewage and effluents is a major escalator.

A few years ago, Mother nature showed how she can purify even the worst junk during the major storms we had by flushing the Cooum system. That shows that we can still reclaim the rivers.

While thinking of reducing effluents and sewage and cleaning the rivers, we must also think ahead to create a decent water flow be it diverting fresh water periodically from additional water systems created far off or by letting the sea water (i know the sand bars at the mouth are a big obstacle) or by a combination of fresh and sea water. Maybe I am jumping the gun.. because this will be needed after we clean the rivers.

But what is heartening is that more forummers, folks and even the government seem to be talking of cleaning as a bigger priority. Together we can and we must.