The Cooum 'flows' past Egmore. Pic: Mohan Kumar Karunakaran
Once there was a river. Rather, there were many rivers. And then there were none.
In the run up to Arappor Iyakkam’s Sakkadai Thiruvizha, a citizen awareness program to highlight the problem of sewage being let into Chennai’s water bodies, two young photographers — Raghavan Lokesh and Mohan Kumar Karunakaran — volunteered to travel along Chennai’s rivers, and capture images for our readers.
The pictures are heart breaking. Let us take a minute to view, and mull over, what we have done to the lifelines of this city.
Rusting pipes belch out untreated sewage into the Kosasthalaiyar. Pic: Mohan Kumar KarunakaranSewage flows into the Adyar river at Ramapuram. Pic: Mohan Kumar KarunakaranSewage flowing into the Kosasthalaiyar. Pic: Raghavan LokeshThe Buckingham Canal at Vyasarpadi. Pic: Raghavan LokeshA view of the Buckingham canal at Kodungaiyur. Pic: Raghavan LokeshBirds fly over the Kosasthalaiyar in valiant bid to find something alive in the waters. Pic: Raghavan LokeshCattle grazing on the bed of what is left of the Adyar river, behind MIOT Hospital. Pic: Raghavan LokeshSludge floating on the stagnant waters of the Adyar river at Ramapuram. Pic: Raghavan LokeshSewage flows into the sea at Thiruvottiyur beach. Pic: Mohan Kumar KarunakaranAnother shot of the Buckingham Canal at Kodungaiyur. Pic: Mohan Kumar KarunakaranSlums on the banks of the Cooum in Egmore. Pic: Raghavan LokeshWhere is the Adyar river? Pic: Raghavan LokeshBroken pipes, carrying untreated sewage to the sea at Thiruvottiyur. Pic: Mohan Kumar Karunakaran
[Raghavan Lokesh is an entrepreneur and has been volunteering with Arappor Iyakkam since 2017. Mohan Kumar Karunakaran works with Royal Bank of Scotland. Moved by the state of a water body in his neighbourhood, he has been volunteering with Arappor Iyakkam over the last few months, seeking to impact the city in a positive way.]
A bibliophile and member of Madras Book Club pays a tribute to its founder S Muthiah who passed away on Saturday, leaving behind a city immensely enriched by his story telling
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The newly restored biogas plant in Ward 173 produces 6-7 kilos of gas per day. The fuel produced currently is used by the Amma canteen located in the same premises, which has brought down its LPG usage from 24 to 16 cylinders!
