The Public Works Department (PWD) has engaged a floatermounted porclain to desilt the Cooum River to clear blockages before the onset of monsoon. The silt from the river is being removed in a threephased manner and the silt deposited on the banks of the river is later taken to the Kodungaiyur dumping yard. The floater was brought to the Cooum from Yercaud Lake, following a direction from PWD Minister Duraimurugan, a PWD official told Express. The Minister had, in August, inspected the desilting works at Cooum near Basin Bridge and he was reportedly unhappy with the pace of works.