TN plans to restore Muttukadu by keeping mouth of estuary open Four-pronged action plan to revive polluted estuary

C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The state government is planning to restore the dying Muttukadu
estuary by keeping its mouth open during all the 365 days so that the
pollution gets diluted and the menace of poisonous algal bloom of
microcystis aeruginosa gets reduced.
A senior official source told Express that after a news report by TNIE
exposed poisonous algal bloom in Muttukadu, state government ordered
Chennai Metro Water, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and
Fisheries Department to conduct a study on the causes for pollution
and submit an action report.
The official source said that the study revealed that the algal bloom
was due to the closure of mouth of the estuary thus preventing the
access to sea water besides being choked to pollution from various
other sources.
The report also stated that 900 kilo litres of sewage is being dumped
by around 500 lorries from nearby villages into the water. It also
revealed that multi-storied buildings in three locations are letting
out the waste upstream. The locations include Okiyambedu, South
Buckingham Canal and chain of Pallikaranai tanks where treated or
untreated water is letout.
Following the study, the state government has immediately charted out
a four point action plan and has asked Public Works Department to keep
the mouth of the estuary open all 365 days so that the pollution
dilutes and the poisonous algal bloom subsides. This will result in
fishes visiting the backwaters again and thus providing livelihood to
the fishermen.
Besides this, Public works Department has been asked to erect
signboards prohibiting sewage lorries not to let out the waste into
the backwaters. The official said PWD has also been instructed to
erect barriers to prevent dumping into Muttukadu besides diverting the
lorries to Perungudi Sewage Treatment Plant.
Meanwhile, Chennai Metro Water would be constructing 2 MLD sewage
treatment plant near Muttukadu so that the lorries carrying sewage can
let it out at the sewage treatment plant.
The state government has also ordered the local bodies to identify the
source of pollution upstream in Buckingham Canal and come up with
inception and diversion projects.