Tamil Nadu is preparing to call global tenders for a fresh restoration of the Cooum and the Adyar, starting with three-kilometre stretches chosen for detailed study. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay reviewed the Cooum’s detailed project report at the Secretariat in September and asked for phased work with international technical help, DT Next reported on 22 September 2026.
The new push follows nearly two decades of work by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT), the Water Resources Department, Metrowater and the Corporation. Here is what has been done, what is on the table now, and what residents along the rivers should expect.
What the earlier programmes achieved
CRRT began life in 2006 as the Adyar Poonga Trust and now coordinates restoration of the Cooum, Adyar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers, the Buckingham Canal and the city’s creeks and estuaries. Its best-known result is at the Adyar mouth. The 58-acre Tholkappia Poonga, restored between 2008 and 2011, turned a dumping ground into a tidal wetland, according to CRRT. Work then moved to the remaining 300 acres of the creek and estuary east of Thiru Vi Ka Bridge, where a survey counted 424 species after restoration against 141 before, DT Next reported in 2024.
For the Adyar as a whole, the government gave administrative sanction of ₹744.60 crore. The CRRT project page splits the work across departments:
- Water Resources Department: opening the river mouth, desilting, flood protection walls and boundary stones.
- Chennai Metrowater (CMWSSB): interceptor sewers, modular sewage treatment plants and underground sewerage.
- Greater Chennai Corporation: waste removal, fencing, parks, walkways and riverbank planting.
- Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board: resettlement of affected families.
Sewage is still the main problem
Most of the smell and colour in both rivers comes from untreated sewage entering through outfalls. In a status report to the National Green Tribunal, Metrowater said its Cooum sub-projects would plug 37 outfalls into the river, while a joint committee had identified 81 more, 20 of them outside city limits. On the Adyar, CRRT approved 56 short-term sub-projects worth about ₹555 crore, and Metrowater’s share was expected to plug 39 outfalls within Chennai. Buckingham Canal work was held up by encroachments that other agencies had not cleared.
Until those outfalls are plugged and the plants run reliably, cosmetic work on the banks will not change the water much. Resettlement has been the hardest part. By 2020, 9,539 families from Adyar bank settlements had been moved to Slum Clearance Board tenements, The News Minute reported. Families were relocated mostly to large resettlement colonies on the city’s southern and western edges, far from the jobs and schools they had near the river.
The 2026 plan
The revised 2026-27 State Budget, presented by Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson, made river restoration a priority. It said the government would invite global tenders and prepare a feasibility report and detailed project report for the Cooum and Adyar, drawing on river projects in Seoul and Singapore, Deccan Chronicle reported. The minister said past spending of several hundred crore had not produced meaningful results.
The Cooum proposal includes:
- pedestrian and cycling tracks and riverside walkways;
- viewing decks, green spaces and community facilities;
- nature-based measures to improve water quality.
For the Adyar, consultants are to focus on sewage interception, water quality, recreation and flood mitigation. No total cost or tender date had been announced as of 18 October. The next steps are finalising the project report and action plans, then tendering.
What to watch this monsoon
Ahead of the northeast monsoon, which set in on 15 October, the Water Resources Department carried out maintenance and desilting along the Cooum. Both rivers carry floodwater to the sea, so mouth opening at the Adyar estuary and Napier Bridge on the Cooum matters during heavy spells.
- Report sewage being let into a storm drain or river to Metrowater or to GCC on 1913.
- Report garbage dumping on river banks to GCC.
- Do not walk along unfenced riverbanks during heavy rain alerts.
Tholkappia Poonga remains the easiest way to see the restored estuary. It is open Monday to Saturday, except public holidays, with walking hours of 6.30 to 8 am and 4.30 to 6 pm for pass holders. Guided and school visits need advance booking.
Quick answers
Who is in charge of river restoration in Chennai?
CRRT plans and monitors the work, which is carried out by WRD, Metrowater, GCC and other departments.
How much was sanctioned for the Adyar?
The government gave administrative sanction of ₹744.60 crore, according to CRRT.
When will the new Cooum project start?
The detailed project report is being finalised before global tenders. No start date has been announced.
Can I visit the restored Adyar estuary?
Yes, Tholkappia Poonga allows visits from Monday to Saturday. Walkers need a pass.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Adyar River Restoration (Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust)
- Adyar Eco Park Phase I, Tholkappia Poonga (Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust)
- Independent status report by CMWSSB on sewage outfalls, O.A. 299 of 2013 (National Green Tribunal)
- Cooum revival: TN moves towards global tender, phased riverfront development (DT Next, 22 Sep 2026)
- Cooum, Adyar restoration back on agenda (Deccan Chronicle, 6 Aug 2026)
- Restoration works breathe life into Adyar creek and estuary (DT Next, Jun 2024)
- Chennai’s Adyar river shows signs of recovery after years of govt investment (The News Minute, Aug 2020)
