Vi ewoft heCooum Ri ver .Ther i verr unst hr ought hehear toft heci t y ,wi t hsomeoft hepr i meact i ci t i esal ongi t sbanks
Vi ewoft heLangsGar denRoadsl um.Thi ssl um wast hesubj ectofmyt hesi sandwasal sohomet onear l y5000peopl e.
TheCooum Ri veri sdot t edwi t hnear l y36sl umsal ongi t sbanksoncei tent er sChennaici t yl i mi t s.Ther ear eot herl andmar ksal ongt her i ver ,t heabovephot ogr aphsar eoft he f amousNapi erBr i dgeandoft hemout hoft her i vermeet i ngt heBayofBengal .
TheCooum Ri v eri soneoft het hr ee r i v er sr unni ngt hr ought hec i t y .Li k e manyot herr i v er sar oundt hec ount r y , t heCooum Ri v eri sal s oheav i l ypol l ut ed andi sdot t edal l al ongbymedi um t o l ar ges l um s et t l ement s .Thes l umsar e al s ooneoft hemai nc ont r i but or sof pol l ut ant si nt ot her i v er .Ast hes l ums al ongt hebank soft her i v erar e enc r oac hedonGov er nmentl and,t hey ar ei l l egal andt her ef or ear enotent i t l ed t oanybas i cf ac i l i t i ess uc haswat er , s uppl yors ewagel i nes . TheCooum Ri v eror i gi nat esf r om about 60Km wes tofChennai c i t yandends wheni tmeet st heBayofBengal near Napi erBr i dgei nt hec i t y .Theav er age wi dt hoft her i v erout s i dec i t yl i mi t si s c l os et o60m,buti sr educ edbymor e t han20m asi tent er st hec i t y .Thi si s mai nl yduet ot heenc r oac hment sal ong t heent i r es t r et c h.Thenar r owi ngoft he r i v erhasl eadt oadr as t i cr educ t i oni n t hef l oodc ar r y i ngc apac i t yoft her i v er andal s os ev er es i l t i ngoft her i v erbed. Thel ongi t udi nal s l opeoft her i v eri sal s o v er ygr adual whi c hk eepst hef l owof wat eratav er ys l ows peed.The v eget at i onal l al ongt her i v eri smai nl y wi l dandi sofnopur pos e.Thequal i t yof wat eri sv er ypoorandt her ear eno pos s i bi l i t yofanyaquat i cl i f ei ni tduet o i t shi ghpol l ut i onl ev el s . TheCooum Ri v erdur i ngt hec ol oni al er aus edt obeonemai nt r ans por t at i on r out esi nt ot hei nl andar eas .Goodsf r om t hepor tus edt obel oadedi nt os mal l er f er r i es ,whi c hus edt oc ar r yt hem deep i nl andar east hr oughas er i esofwel l c onnec t edc anal sandr i v er s .Howev er duet oc ont i nuousnegl i genc eov ert he dec adest heent i r ewat ert r ans por t net wor khasc ol l aps edandt her i v eri s mai nl yus edf orc ar r y i nggar bage.