Chennai: Today, one of the most pressing issues in Chennai is water scarcity.
This may be linked to the depleting groundwater levels in the reservoirs. Though the main reason for this water shortage is the inadequate rain during the monsoon season, looking at the larger picture, the root cause can be the destruction of waterbodies.
One such river that was destroyed, not so long ago, was the Cooum. No resident of the city can ignore the condition of this polluted river, but the origin and history of this river is mostly unknown.
The Cooum is a seasonal river that originates from a village called Koovam in Tiruvallur district and hence the name. To divert the water flow to Poondi reservoir, the British built the Kesavaram dam with 16 locks, where the Kosasthalai river splits and gives rise to the Cooum.
It is in this dam that the Cooum river is diverted to Chembarambakkam lake and the Kosasthalai river to Poondi reservoir.
The Cooum runs for 65 km, out of which approximately 20 km is in Chennai city and the rest runs across the villages of Tiruvallur district.
This river acts as the source of water for seven villages, including Koovam, and these villages still use Cooum water for agriculture and other purposes.
“The main source of income for our village and six others surrounding it is agriculture and the Cooum river is what supports it. If rain during the monsoon season is good, and there is water running in the river for nearly two months, it will be sufficient to provide for the needs of these seven village for 10 years to follow. However, since the monsoon has not been very promising this year, the river is pretty dry. Yet, we are not short of drinking water,” said Krishnamurthy, former Panchayat head of Koovam village.
Though this village has no water scarcity as yet, due to lack of sufficient rainfall this year, the river is nearly dry. This might cause trouble to the agricultural produce this year but as far as drinking water is concerned, this village has sufficient ground water to last them through summer.
“It is really disheartening to know that people of Chennai do not know the history of this beautiful river. People here mostly know only about the pollution that is present in the village and, hence, ignore the past of how useful and important the Cooum was,” said Shaik Alaudeen, a resident of Koovam village.
“If the river was clean and well-maintained in the city, they would not have to face water shortage that they have been doing for so many years now,” he added.
The Cooum that is in usable condition from where it starts loses its nature to become polluted and contaminated from Thiruverkadu and it is from here, that the river is considered dead – like it is in Chennai. The condition of the river in Chennai started deteriorating centuries ago and further pollution has resulted in its contaminated state.
(The journey of this river as it travels through Chennai, will be published in tomorrow’s edition.)
ARTICLE BY: SHARMADA V & SUHA NISVIYA S A