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Cooum River

Coordinates:13°04′05″N80°17′09″E/ 13.068107°N 80.28585°E/13.068107; 80.28585
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Cooum
Triplicane
Cooum River as viewed from the bridge connecting theIsland Ground
Location
CountryIndia
StateTamil Nadu
CityChennai
Physical characteristics
Source
• locationKesavaram Anaicut,Vellore district,Tamil Nadu,India
MouthCooum delta
• location
Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India
• elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Length40 mi (64 km)
Discharge
• locationChepauk,Chennai

13°04′05″N80°17′09″E/ 13.068107°N 80.28585°E/13.068107; 80.28585

TheCooum River,or simplyKoovam,is one of the shortest classified rivers draining into theBay of Bengal.This river is about 72 km (45 mi) in length, flowing 32 km (20 mi) in thecity of Chennai(urban part) and the rest in rural part. The river is highly polluted in the urban area (Chennai). Along with theAdyar Riverrunning parallel to the south and theKosasthalaiyar River,the river trifurcates the city of Chennai and separates Northern Chennai from Central Chennai. It is also sometimes known asThiruvallikenni river

Its source is in a place by the Kesavaram Anaicut built acrossKallar riverinVellore districtadjoiningChennai district.From its origin in theKesavaram villagetoThandurai(Pattabiram),Avadi,ThiruverkaduAnaikat, the river remains unpolluted. Beyond this point, the river is highly polluted till its mouth on the Bay of Bengal.[1]In Chennai district, the river flows through three corporation zones—Kilpauk,NungambakkamandTriplicane—for a total length of 16 kilometres (10 mi).[2]

Owing to the intensive use of surface water upstream for agriculture, indiscriminate pumping of groundwater leading to reduced base flow in the river, formation of a sand bar at the mouth of the river, discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents, and encroachment along the banks, the river, especially downstream, has been highly polluted.[1]In 2018 alone, about 21,665 tonnes of waste were removed from the river.[3]

History

[edit]

The Cooum was earlier known as the Triplicane river. The name ofCooumappears to be derived from Tamil literature. The name may have been derived from the Tamil termcoopammeaning 'well' or 'deep pit'.[4]The wordcoovalandenotes a person who is well versed in the science of ground water, well water and stagnant water.

Once this river was said to have its origin inDharmapuri district,but now due to some earth table changes, it has shortened its course toThiruvallur district.[citation needed]Ancient documents from the nearby temples states about one 'reaching salvation' on having a dip in the Cooum. The Cooum river was then clean and unpolluted.

For centuries, Cooum has been an integral part of the socio-economic and cultural life of the city. Till the early twentieth century, it was a clean river, most suitable for navigation. In ancient times, it played a pivotal part in the far-flung maritime trade between theRoman Empire,South IndiaandSri Lanka.Cooum's proximity to the ancient port of Manarpha orMylaporeadded to the river's strategic importance. Manarpha was frequented by Roman merchants who came here to buy Indian textiles, gemstones and spices. In return, India procured gold, silver, copper and high-quality wine from the Romans. Archaeologists have discovered ancient Roman wine jars, and Roman and Chinese coins, on the banks of the river. In the late eighteenth century,Pachaiyappa Mudaliar,the renowned philanthropist, bathed in this river before offering prayers at the Komaleeswarar Temple in Komaleeswaranpet.[4]

Cooum River and the nearby Elambore River (or North River), which flows into the Cooum at its mouth, were running very close to each other near the formerCentral Jailarea oppositeChennai Central.During floods, both the watercourses inundated the whole area. In the 1700s, the two rivers were linked by a cut to equalise the floods in both the rivers and a bridge was constructed between these rivers in 1710 across the cut.[5]

Polluted part of the Cooum is presently spoiled by filth and pollution, and the water quality has considered to be highly toxic and completely non-potable. The 2004 tsunami cleaned the mouth of the river; however, the river returned to its usual polluted self within a short period. Nevertheless, the river is still being used for drinking water needs of many villages in the banks of the unpolluted part of the river.[citation needed]

Origin and course

[edit]
Causeway at the mouth of Cooum in the Bay of Bengal
Tidal barriers at the Cooum Delta

The Cooum River originates in a village of the same name inKadambathurunion in Tiruvallur district, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Chennai, although starting its main course at Sattarai village, around 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Chennai. Flowing throughThiruverkadu,it enters theChennai DistrictatArumbakkamafter meandering for about 54 kilometres (34 mi). It then passes through some of the oldest residential areas for another 18 kilometres (11 mi) such asChoolaimedu,Chetpet,EgmoreandChintadripet,where the river channel is about 30 metres (98 ft) wide.[6]Close to Egmore, the river forks into two—the northern and the southern arms—both of which join again near theNapier bridge,thus forming an island, known as the Island Grounds. The northern part of theBuckingham Canaljoins the Cooum near the old Central Jail while the southern part of the same canal emerges from the river, just behind theUniversity of Madrascampus. The river finally joins theBay of Bengalsouth of theFort St George,just below the Napier Bridge.[4]Once a fresh water source, it is today a drainage course inside the city of Chennai. The total length of the river is about 65 kilometres (40 mi). The river flows to a length of 40 kilometres (25 mi) in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, of which 16 kilometres (10 mi) fall within the Chennai district limits. The total catchment area of the river is about 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi), and the bed width ranges from 40 to 120 metres (130 to 390 ft). The capacity of the river is 19,500 cubic metres per second (690,000 cu ft/s), and the anticipated flood discharge is around 22,000 cubic metres per second (780,000 cu ft/s).[7]Once a fishing river, it has borne the brunt of the city's unplanned developmental explosion. The Kesavaram dam diverts the river into theChembarambakkam Lakefrom which water is used for the supply of drinking water to the city of Chennai. Thereafter, the flow of water in the river is much reduced.

Three ancientShivatemples are located at the source of the river. The first isTiruvirkolam,in Cooum village, and the other is at Ilambaiyankottur. The third is Thiruverkadu Shiva temple. Koyambedu temple is also in its banks. These temples have been featured in theThevaramsung by theSaivitesaintThirugnana Sambandar.There is one more temple called the Veerebathrasami temple. The god in the temple is otherwise known as "Akoramoorthy". This temple is at Pillayarkuppam, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Cooum village. In ancient Tamil Nadu, under the Chola Empire, the river Cooum was referred to asKashtabudhyotpathihi.They all form a group of villages calledPadhinaru Nattham.The river drains into the Bay of Bengal atChepaukin Chennai marking the northernmost boundary of theMarina Beach.The delta also marks the southern boundary of thePort of Chennai.

Coovum river as seen from theNapier Bridge

The width of the river course varies all along from 35 to 150 metres (115 to 492 ft), which includes the area occupied by the slums.

Variations in river course width within city limits(Source: HSCTC feasibility report)
Stretch Original (survey) width (m) Existing width (m)
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
River mouth–Napier Bridge 151 151 151 151
Napier Bridge–Periyar Bridge 126 146 45 60
Periyar Bridge–Coolways Bridge 126 135 51 58
Coolways Bridge–St. Andrew Bridge 94 131 60 62
St. Andrew Bridge (Arunachala Street)–Harris Bridge 87 93 49 58
Harris Bridge–Ethiraj Bridge 82 98 46 51
Ethiraj Bridge–College Bridge 97 173 40 52
College Bridge–Mc. Nicholas Road 99 118 47 53
Mc. Nicholas Road–Choolaimedu Bridge 68 95 37 53
Poonamallee High Road–Anna Arch Road 71 102 43 45
Anna Arch Road–Anna Nagar 8th Main Road 79 150 62 64
Anna Nagar 8th Main Road–Inner Ring Road 71 95 44 101
Inner Ring Road–Mogappair Estate Road 89 144 46 101
Mogappair Estate Road–Vanagaram Ambattur Road 76 110 46 92

Islets and the river mouth

[edit]
Annual trade fair held at the Island Grounds

The major islet in the course of the river is theIsland Groundsin Chennai less than a kilometre from the mouth. The river splits into two near Chinthadripet and encircles a piece of land isolating it from the surrounding land before draining into the eastern sea. However, the mouth of the river is not too wide and does not have any islet. The river mouth has groynes running to a total length of nearly 250 metres (820 ft). The opening between the groynes is about 170 metres (560 ft) to facilitate tidal action. The impact of high tide bringing in sea water is felt for nearly 3 kilometres (2 mi) in the river. At present, the river has to be periodically cleaned to prevent sand deposits near the river mouth, close to the Napier bridge, which are removed at frequent intervals using at least two machines to facilitate tidal action and avoid flooding. About 80,000 cubic metres (2,800,000 cu ft) of sand were removed in 2010–11.[8]

The river basin spans an area of 505.88 square kilometers.[9]

Bridges

[edit]
Periyar Bridge Chennai

There are nine major bridges built over the urban part of the river. These are the Napier Bridge, the Wallajah Bridge, the Periamet Bridge, the Chintradripet Bridge or the St Andrew's Bridge, Harris Bridge, Commander-in-Chief Road Bridge, College Road Bridge, Spur Tank Bridge and the Aminjikarai Bridge.[4]Apart from these there are several smaller bridges built across the river. The Corporation of Chennai maintains about 13 of these bridges.[10]

A new bridge across the river connecting Golden George Nagar inMogappairwithNerkundramis being constructed by the state highways department at a cost of₹113 million. Work started in August 2010 and is expected to be completed by March 2013. The bridge with 10 spans measures about 110 metres (360 ft) long and nearly 24 metres (79 ft) wide, accommodating six-lane traffic, with space provisions for bicycles and pedestrians.[11]

Flora and fauna

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According to scientists, around 1950, Cooum had 49 species of fish,[4]and by the late 1970s, this was reduced to 21 species.[12]However, on date, there are no fish in the river, owing to highly toxic pollutants found in the river water.

Pollution

[edit]
The river is one of the most polluted waterbodies in the country

The river is narrow, placid, slow and meandering. The river is primarily fed by discharge from tank and water bodies and has seen a steady drop in freshwater over the years, a primary reason for its present-day condition.[13]However, the core problem of the Cooum has been that due to the sand bar, the river mouth near the Napier Bridge gets blocked for most of the time, preventing the river water from draining into the sea. This has, eventually, made the river, in its 18-km-long stretch in the central district, a stinking cesspool.[12]

Tests of water samples reveals almost zero dissolvedoxygenand substantial presence offaecal coliform bacteria,besides heavy metals such aslead,zincandcadmium.[9]

The study of the river was undertaken as part of aWorld Bank-funded project and shows that it is 80 per cent more polluted than treated sewer. Fish were able to survive in the water for only 3 to 5 hours even after samples were diluted. There are traces of heavy metals like copper and pesticides likeendosulphanandlindanein it. Public Works Department sources said government agencies likeChennai Corporationand business units and retail outlets on the banks of the river were responsible for the pollution. The water has almost no dissolved oxygen, and instead there are traces of heavy metals like copper, besides sewage and sludge. Due to its narrowness and about 3,500 illegal hutments along its banks, it has not been recentlydesilted,which has closed it to river traffic. Per 2003 enumeration, about 9,000 families live along the river, in addition to 450 shops and commercial buildings.[12]There are 700-odd points in the river bank where sewage flows straight into the river.[13]There are 127 identified sewage outfalls into the river, out of which 85 are in use.[12]

Nearly 30 per cent of the estimated 55 million litres (15,000,000 US gal) of untreated sewage being let into the waterways of Chennai daily, including by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, gets into the Cooum river. About 60 per cent of the untreated sewage gets into theBuckingham Canaland theAdyar Rivertakes the rest. In 2010, about 340 sewage outfalls into the waterways were identified. Of them, more than 130 sewage outfalls were in the Cooum River and a majority of them were between Aminjikarai and Nungambakkam.[14]In some of the spots in areas such asMaduravoyal,more than 7 tonnes ofmunicipal solid wasteis being dumped in the river every day.[15]

Fortunately, there is another 42 km of this river which is still not polluted (as of the year 2015), which can be used to transport the water into Chennai and to store drinking water for Chennai's needs. There is a huge amount of sand deposits in the banks of the unpolluted part of the Cooum river that could rejuvenate the ground water level of numerous villages in the banks of this river.

Cleanup

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According to the records available with the state public department, efforts to restore the waterway first began back in 1872 under the British. The earliest recorded proposal was mooted in 1890. After Independence, the then chief minister C. N. Annadurai launched a Cooum Improvement Scheme at a cost of₹19 million in September 1967, six months after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party came to power for the first time in the state, when M. Karunanidhi was PWD minister. The project comprised installation of a regulator and a sand pump at the river mouth, protecting the sides of the river with cement concrete slabs from the Chetput bridge to the Napier Bridge, provision of a walkway on either side of the river, removal of encroachments on the banks of the river and, more importantly, the diversion of sewage. In addition, seven boat jetties were built. In February 1973, when Karunanidhi was chief minister, he launched a pleasure boat service at a cost of₹22 million, and roving boats, powered boats and paddle boats were made available at a nominal charge. However, the efforts went futile when the sand pump developed snags.[12]Incidentally, the jetties built for the purpose still dot the riverfront.[13]

In 1996, when the DMK returned to power, the government made another bid—this time covering all important watercourses, including the Buckingham Canal and the Adyar. This resulted in the implementation of the₹12,000-million Chennai City River Conservation Project (CCRCP) in January 2001, which was substantially supported by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry. This time, the new project aimed at arresting the sewage outfalls and strengthening the sewer network. However, this too did not yield the desired results since the project did not cover Tiruvallur district, which accounts for 54 kilometres (34 mi) of the river stretch.[12]

After the DMK took charge again in May 2006, the eco-restoration of the Cooum again came to the fore. To facilitate the implementation of the project, the Chennai River Authority, headed by the Deputy Chief Minister, was formed in December 2009 to clean up the entire stretch of the river within 10 years.[16]This aimed at coordinating the implementation of various projects.

In 2010, the Tamil Nadu government signed an MoU with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SEC), a Singapore agency for the restoration project. The agency prepared a preliminary report after discussions with various stake holders of the project including Chennai Corporation, municipal administrations, Metrowater, Pollution Control Board, Slum Clearance Board and the public works department.

There is currently the World Bank–funded Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Bodies Restoration and Management Project to clean up the river, under which the upper reaches of the river are proposed to be covered.[12]The World Bank has approved₹224.1 million for the Cooum restoration project towards development of its irrigation potential.[17]Improving the irrigation efficiency of Cooum upstream is one of the main objectives of the project. The upper region of the river, mainly Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts, will be benefiting from this special fund.

A team from Chennai has visitedSan AntonioinTexasto see how they successfully did the clean-up of a polluted river. The team comprised former Deputy Chief MinisterM. K. Stalin,former Chennai MayorM. Subramaniamand other senior officers. One of the city's dream projects is to clean up this river on or before 2020. The initiative has been taken up by the Central and State governments to clean up the river and rediscover the pleasures of traditional boat racing. The Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT) has asked the Chennai Corporation to chalk out an action plan to removeconstruction debrisdumped on the banks of the river.[18]

The Water Resources Department (WRD) started flushing a 30-kilometre (19 mi) stretch of the Cooum in December 2010, initially discharging about 5.7 cubic metres per second (200 cu ft/s) of surplus water from thePoondi reservoirinto the river.[19]

In September 2011, the WRD began cleaning the river at a cost of₹10.2 million and the work is expected to be completed within a fortnight.[14]

In 2012, the government allotted₹3,000 million towards construction of 337 sewage cleaning systems in the waterways in the city, including 105 locations in the Cooum river. Others include 49 points in Adyar river and 183 locations in the Buckingham Canal.[20]

Other developments

[edit]
Coast Guard building on the banks of Cooum

A visitor centre near the mouth of the river on theMarina Beach,similar to theMarina BarrageVisitor Centre in Singapore andSan AntonioVisitor Center in the United States, has been planned as part of an initiative to create awareness of the need for clean waterways.[21]

In 2011, the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association planned to build a marina at the mouth of the Cooum river along the southern bank, where yachts and pleasure boats could dock. The₹300-million project involves first building a breakwater in the sea so that the waters at the marina are placid and the boats do not keep bobbing up and down with the incursion of waves. However, the by-catch is a more important function—the breakwater will prevent silting and clogging of the river's mouth, allowing for structures such as a boat repair facility, a base for the Tamil Nadu Coastal Police, and sailing academy to be put up on the bank.[22]By 2013, the estimate for the setting up of a sailing centre and marina to accommodate 24 yachts has increased to₹450 million.[23]

A nature trail along the river has been proposed for which a draft ecological plan has been prepared by the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure and Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL). The project is planned from College Road bridge to Chetpet bridge by the Chennai River Restoration Trust in view of the biological diversity of the area which was undisturbed for decades. According to the draft ecological plan, floral species such asIndian almond,black wattle,sacred fig,madras thorn,Indian mulberry,neem,banyan,magizham,Indian cork tree,punnai,sirukkambil,karumugai,shenbagam,bayur tree,kadamba,pavazha malli,vetivergrass,palmarosa,agave,lemon grassandsubabulwould be part of species along the nature trail which would play a role in erosion management. The nature trail would be based on an "elevated boardwalk" model with "uncompressed natural wood" and "fibre reinforced plastic". The entry and exit would be on College Road near the DPI complex. Apart from the parking facilities on the DPI premises, a stretch along the road between the entry point and the College Road Bridge would be demarcated for additional parking. Five points located at 200-metre (660 ft) intervals along the trail have been selected for erecting break-out areas including one for a canopy walk. The facility has been planned without electrical fittings and has been designed as a "day trail".[24]

It is proposed thatChennai Metro railsare to be built about 30 metres (98 ft) under the bed of the river. The line that comes from theMadras High Courtarea reaches the metro'sCentral stationin front ofRipon Building,crosses the river and passes underneath the neighbourhoods ofChintadripetto reach the underground station at the newsecretariatonAnna Salai.The tunnels for the metro rail are to be made without cutting open the ground, with giant machines boring the tunnels as the river flows above. Custom-made tunnel boring machines costing₹600 million each have been imported from Germany for the purpose.[25]

Eco restoration and nature trail

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Key aspects of the Cooum river eco-restoration plan includes 11 maintenance ways of 9.6 km, 22 walkways of 24 km, and 17 cycle tracks of 19 km, in addition to 24 parks and riverfront vegetation. The total budget for the eco-restoration is₹19,340 million.[9]

As part of the eco-restoration, in July 2018, the corporation began work on the 1.5-km nature trail between the College Road bridge in Nungambakkam and the Munroe bridge in Chetput. Modelled on the San Antonio River Walk in the United States, the trail is being built in two phases at a cost of₹98.2 million and includes a butterfly park in a 5000 square meter area. Given the raise in the maximum flood level in the past years being 70% to 5.94 meters, the boardwalk has been increased from 3.5 meters to more than 6 meters using corrosion-resistant steel. The boardwalk will measure 1.65 meters and will be covered with greenery, with a provision to park 70 vehicles. The butterfly park will be built in the second phase.[26]

Occasional water flows

[edit]

During theIndian Ocean tsunamiof 2004, the empty waterway enabled it to take in much of the incoming ocean water.[citation needed]Some say[who?]this would not have been possible had the river been in full flow.

In November 2005,three days of torrential rainsflushed out the waste and cleaned up the river, and the river looked clear for a brief period. Egrets and cormorants too were cited flocking the river to feast on fish.[16]The river discharged the floodwater at a rate of about 21,500 cubic metres per second (760,000 cu ft/s).[7]

Legacy

[edit]

A 1928 poem by V. H. Shipley describes the river as follows:

Of dirt and smell your sources wake... And near the sea where one would think Your water might be cleaner, It forms a cesspit by the bridge, Adjoining the Marina. Oh viscid stream! Oh smelling flood. Oh green and beastly river![27]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^abRamakrishnan, T. (9 December 2009)."Cooum project keeps hopes afloat".The Hindu.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2009.Retrieved1 September2012.
  2. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (18 May 2011)."Bottlenecks removed for free flow of Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved1 September2012.
  3. ^Ramakrishnan, Deepa H. (29 January 2019)."A mountain of trash fished out of Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai: Kasturi & Sons.Retrieved3 February2019.
  4. ^abcdeSuresh, S. (14 July 2012)."A River for All Seasons".The Times of India.Chennai: The Times Group. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved14 July2012.
  5. ^"Structure of Chennai"(PDF).Chapter 1.CMDA. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 August 2013.Retrieved24 February2013.
  6. ^Aishwarya, S. (14 December 2009)."Slew of beautification plans ready".The Hindu.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2009.Retrieved1 September2012.
  7. ^ab"Session-3 River and Drainage System in CMA"(PDF).CMDA.Retrieved1 September2012.
  8. ^Lakshmi, K. (3 December 2011)."WRD plans groynes".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved4 December2011.
  9. ^abcLopez, Aloysius Xavier (4 July 2018)."Demolition along Cooum gathers pace".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved15 July2018.
  10. ^"Departments—Bridges".Corporation of Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2013.Retrieved29 December2012.
  11. ^Lakshmi, K. (17 December 2012)."Mogappair residents await lifeline over Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved27 December2012.
  12. ^abcdefgRamakrishnan, T. (14 December 2009)."City awash with dreams of a clean Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2009.Retrieved1 September2012.
  13. ^abcUmachandran, Shalini; A. Prathap (8 December 2009)."Judgment Day for Cooum".The Times of India, epaper.Chennai: The Times Group. Archived fromthe originalon 6 July 2009.Retrieved1 September2012.
  14. ^abLakshmi, K.; Deepa H. Ramakrishnan (29 September 2011)."Untreated sewage pollutes waterways".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved2 October2011.
  15. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (1 December 2011)."Survey of waste-tainted spots along Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved2 December2011.
  16. ^abKumar, K. Praveen (10 January 2011)."CRZ reminder as restoration loses flow along Cooum".The Times of India.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2012.Retrieved1 September2012.
  17. ^Janardhanan, Arun (22 March 2011)."Cooum project gets Rs 22 c World Bank aid".The Times of India.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2012.Retrieved1 September2012.
  18. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (4 May 2011)."Remove debris from Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved1 September2012.
  19. ^Lakshmi, K. (16 December 2010)."Cooum flushing from today".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved2 October2011.
  20. ^"நீர்வழி தடங்களை சுத்திகரிக்க ரூ.300 கோடி நிதி: கூவம் ஆற்றில் நீச்சல் சாத்தியமாகும்?".தினமலர் (Dina Malar).Chennai: Dina Malar. 26 July 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 28 July 2012.Retrieved28 July2012.
  21. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (20 February 2011)."Visitor centre proposed near Cooum river mouth".The Hindu.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 23 February 2011.Retrieved2 October2011.
  22. ^Ramesh, M. (27 September 2011)."Chennai to get a marina".Business Line.Chennai.Retrieved2 October2011.
  23. ^Senthil, Anjana (8 October 2013)."Boost to Sport, Tourism: Cooum mouth may get sailing centre".The Times of India.Chennai: The Times Group. Archived fromthe originalon 21 October 2013.Retrieved19 October2013.
  24. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (6 November 2011)."Draft plan ready for nature trail along Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved8 November2011.
  25. ^Ayyappan (22 May 2012)."Metro dips under historic Cooum".The Times of India.Chennai. Archived fromthe originalon 29 April 2013.Retrieved30 July2012.
  26. ^Lopez, Aloysius Xavier (15 July 2018)."Corporation begins work on nature trail along Cooum".The Hindu.Chennai.Retrieved15 July2018.
  27. ^Umachandran, Shalini (18 August 2009)."Madras in its many moods".The Times of India.Retrieved17 June2021.
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