Date:12/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/06/12/stories/2004061212030300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

City river conservation project to be completed by next March

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 11. The Forests and Environment Minister, R. Vaithilingam, said on Friday that the Chennai City River Conservation Project for cleaning six waterways crisscrossing the city would be completed by March 2005.

Addressing a press conference before giving away this year's environment awards, Mr. Vaithilingam said 80 per cent of the works of the river water conservation project, involving creation of interception and diversion systems, and setting up sewage treatment plants, was over.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board was the implementing agency for the Union Government-supported project.

The Minister dismissed as baseless the charges that the State Government had been lax in utilising funds sanctioned by the Centre. The Minister contended that while the Union Government had allocated Rs. 176 crores, the State Government's contribution had been Rs. 202 crores.

The Labour Minister, C. Ve. Shanmugam was also present.

According to Mr. Vaithilingam, the Government had also launched a Union Government-aided pollution abatement project for the Cauvery, Vaigai and Tamiraparani rivers in Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Karur, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Rameswaram and Tiruchendur. The project was due for completion by December 2005.

While the Union Government had allocated Rs. 43 crores, the State Government's contribution was Rs. 119 crores.

The Minister said the State's share of funding of river conservation projects aggregated around Rs. 338 crores as against the Central allocation of Rs. 238 crores.

The Environment Minister later gave away environment awards to individuals and institutions to mark the World Environment Day celebrations of the Directorate of Environment and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

The recipients were the Tamil Nadu Science Forum, K. Nammalvar, V. E. Ilavazhagan, A. G. Murugesan, Thirumuruga Dakshinamoorthy, Kandaswamy Kandar, S. Anandi, Murugappa Chettiar Research Institute, Divya and K. Srinivasan. Girija Vaidyanathan, Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, S. Balaji, Director of Environment, S. P. Elangovan, Secretary, Environment and Forests and J. C. Kala, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests spoke.

A pledge to protect the environment was taken at the function. A bio-diversity profile of Tamil Nadu was also formally launched on the occasion. The database was prepared under the supervision of K. Venkataraman, Joint Director, Marine Biological Station, Zoological Survey of India, D. Narasimhan, Lecturer, Madras Christian College and K. Natarajan, Professor, University of Madras.