Underlining the importance of water channels and rivers in the city, the southern bench of National Green Tribunal on Friday directed the Chennai Corporation, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Public Works Department (PWD) to take steps to restore the Cooum and Adyar rivers and Buckingham Canal.

The vacation bench of judicial member Justice P Jyothimani and expert member G K Pandey asked the city corporation to initiate a two-pronged action plan for preventing the inflow of effluents and removing encroachments

along the banks.

The tribunal passed the order in response to a petition from P Edwin Wilson of Purasawalkam. In his submissions to the NGT, he said the Cooum was now rendered non-potable and toxic because of discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents and encroachment along the banks. Also, rampant sand mining in the upstream area of the river like Kosathalayaru and Cooum tank had led to reduced base flow of the river, said Wilson.

Despite many restoration projects, the condition of the river had not improved, he said, requesting government bodies to draw a concrete action plan.

The bench asked the civic, state and central body to submit an action taken report with action plan and time frame for restoration of the Cooum on August 6. In response, joint commissioner (Works), Chennai Corporation, Vijay Pingle said the civic body would take action to stop pollution in the rivers.

In 2013, the tribunal had directed officials to prevent dumping cement waste in the river. In February 2014, the ministry of environment and forests suggested Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for restoration of the 300-acre Adyar creek and estuary on the stipulation that no sewage or industrial effluent was to be dumped in the river.

The state budget for 2014-15 had allocated 3,833.62 crore over five years for Cooum Restoration Project. During the present financial year, 500 crore was provided to the nodal agency, Chennai River Restoration Trust.