Abstract

What was once a pristine waterway associated with Chennai's natural heritage and layered historical significance, the Adyar River, is now a quintessential example of the callousness that is symptomatic of urban India’s environmental neglect. Rapid industrialization, rampant urbanization and the continuous discharge of untreated municipal and industrial wastes have taken their toll on the river's water quality and its eventual collapse. This is compounded by recent studies that have found 'forever chemicals' – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - in concentrations where levels exceed safe thresholds by thousands of times according to IIT Madras, and carry potential health implications including liver damage and cancer. Other reports by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board have documented critical breaches in the river with, for example, none dissolved oxygen and extraordinarily high levels of coliform bacteria, all of which illustrate the construction of pollution which makes it impossible for the river to sustain any aquatic life. Despite the dire state of many rivers in Tamil Nadu, and environmental neglect, judicial processes such as the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal, although potholed with delays, have pointed to systemic problems in legal enforcement being the critical fault for the erosion of public health and environmental advocacy, and demanded immediate action. Using a mixed-methods examination leveraging the quantitative survey data with qualitative data from communities affected in Saidapet’s slums, this study will use the legal consequences of environmental neglect to scrutinize public health. In conclusion, the research presents a framework to integrate environmental governance, legal accountability, and community participation focused on sustainable restorative action for the Adyar River and healthier futures for the people of Chennai.

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