“The Government will strive with the utmost resolve to restore the Cooum and the Adyar to their natural state,” the minister said during the budget speech. The river restoration proposal forms part of a wider push to make Chennai more sustainable and disaster-resilient. The budget also proposed strengthening Chennai’s long-term water security through the Rs.3,108-crore ring main pipeline system, connecting the city’s major drinking water sources with distribution stations. The project, expected to be completed by 2030-31, is aimed at ensuring reliable and equitable round-the-clock drinking water supply. “This project will secure a reliable, equitable, and round-the-clock drinking water supply across Chennai city.