Heavy rains cause WRD’s lakes in Kancheepuram ,Chengalpattu to brim quickly
According to official data, out of 381 lakes in Kancheepuram, 62 have reached their full capacity, while 60 lakes have filled up to 76-99%. In Chengalpattu, which has 528 lakes, only 50 have reached full capacity so far.
Visual of waterlogging due to heavy rain (Photo: Justin George)
CHENNAI: Heavy rains have caused lakes under the Water Resources Department (WRD) in Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts to fill up quickly. However, village ponds maintained by rural local bodies remain mostly dry, raising concerns among residents.
According to official data, out of 381 lakes in Kancheepuram, 62 have reached their full capacity, while 60 lakes have filled up to 76-99%. In Chengalpattu, which has 528 lakes, only 50 have reached full capacity so far.
Meanwhile, smaller ponds managed by local bodies, especially those covering less than 50 acres, are still under-filled. In Kancheepuram, out of 378 village ponds, only 4 are completely full, while over 160 are less than half filled.
Residents blame encroachments on water channels for blocking rainwater flow into these ponds. As a result, water often stagnates in residential areas instead of reaching the water bodies. Farmers and residents have urged authorities to remove encroachments from feeder canals and ensure proper inflow into ponds before December to help recharge groundwater and prevent water scarcity during summer.
However, officials said the northeast monsoon has just begun, and they expect more lakes to reach full capacity as the rains continue in the coming weeks.