The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : River conservation programme to be completed by September

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 09, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

River conservation programme to be completed by September

Staff Reporter

Aim is to clean waterways by plugging polluting sewage outlets

Green Awards: Environment and Forests Minister M. Vaidhilingam handing over the Arignar Anna Award for Environmental Awareness to Sultan Ahmed Ismail at a function to mark the World Environment Day in Chennai on Wednesday. Law Minister D. Jayakumar looks on. — Photo: S R Raghunathan

CHENNAI: The Chennai City River Conservation Project (CCRCP) is progressing as per schedule and will be completed by September, Environment and Forests Minister M. Vaidhilingam said on Wednesday.

Giving away the annual environmental awards at a function to commemorate World Environmental Day, organised by the Environment Department and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board here, he said that 98 per cent of the work had been completed.

The CCRCP, which is being implemented at a cost of Rs. 491.52 crores by the State Environment Department, the Public Works Department and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage, is aimed at cleaning up the city waterways by plugging polluting sewage outlets.

About 67 per cent of the work has been completed under the National River Conservation Programme for cleaning up the Cauvery, the Tamirabarani and Vaigai.

The Environment Department was also drafting a plan to make Tiruvannamalai an eco-city, Mr. Vaidhilingam said.

Law and Information Technology Minister D. Jayakumar said that awareness of issues concerning environment and biodiversity was high among the public. The Forest Department and the Chennai Corporation should join hands in planting a large number of trees throughout the city and an urban forestry division should be created in the Corporation for this, he added.

Environment and Forests Secretary Surjit K. Chaudhry said that environmental awareness was increasing in Tamil Nadu, but the State needed to define standards for environment and pollution.

Recalling this year's theme for the World Environment Day — Green Cities, Plan for the Planet — S. Balaji, director of environment, said that energy and fuel consumption and redesigning the metropolis on ecological terms were critical issues that needed to be addressed.

J.C. Kala, principal chief conservator of forests, and K. Varadarajan, secretary of the Federation of Science Clubs of Tamil Nadu, participated.

Awards distributed

Awards were given away in three categories. The Arignar Anna Award for Environmental Education and Awareness went to Sultan Ahmed Ismail, head of the department of biotechnology, New College, Chennai. Dr. Gurusamy Mudaliar Award for Environmental Protection was bagged by S. Rathinavel of Saraswathi Narayanan College, Madurai, and the Karmaveerar Kamaraj Award for Environment Management was won by K. Muthusezhiyan of Madurai Kamaraj University.

A "School on Air" programme was held in which students from various schools interacted with Dr. S.Balaji through `HAM' radio on environmental issues.

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