Pelicans flock to Cooum River as excess water inflow rises after rain

One possible reason for the gathering of pelicans near the Napier bridge could be the inflow of water from the rainfall since November

In a rare occurrence, pelicans have gathered at the Cooum river, which is usually choked with sewage, near the Napier Bridge. The sight of the birds that have been spotted for a few weeks now has surprised onlookers and bird enthusiasts. Environmentalists, however, say this is a temporary phenomenon.

Murugavel T., a conservationist, said birds generally gather near a river or a lake for roosting during migration. Birds such as Cattle Egret, Little Egret, and Red-wattled Lapwing, are usually found near the banks of the Cooum, he said.

One possible reason for the gathering of pelicans could be the inflow of water from the rainfall in November. This, he explained, could have brought in fishes and the pelicans might have come there for the catch.

Referring to a sighting of a Greylag Goose, a species normally present in the Himalayan range, spotted at the Adyar Estuary, nearly two months back, Mr. Murugavel suggested that the pelicans in Cooum might also be a temporary phenomenon. “Unless the river is restored, it will not support any bird life,” he said.

Officials of the Water Resources Department (WRD) said water released from Kesavaram anicut had reached the city stretch of the Cooum river. The fresh water flow in the river had recharged groundwater tables in upper reaches and flushed out sewage pollution in the city portion of the river. The waterway carried a flow of about 1,500 cusecs of flood water now. It has attracted several birds and fishes were spotted too near Napier Bridge during this northeast monsoon, officials said.

The river, about 65 kms long, is currently being restored under the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust and the WRD has identified nearly 13,952 encroachments to be cleared along various stretches of the river.