Chennai

The panchayat has been dumping garbage near the lake for the past four years. After the people lodged a complaint at the Chief Minister’s Special Cell, action was taken and a sign was erected asking all not to throw waste there. “However, after few months, they started dumping waste again. When we questioned the sanitary workers, they said the panchayat allotted the place to dump garbage,” alleged Praveen Kumar, a resident of Nanmangalam, adding that untreated sewage was also discharged into the lake. 

Before the pandemic, the area was cleaned after the residents complained. However, during the lockdown, there was no monitoring or inspection, which led to the situation going back to worse. 

Pointing out how the wells in the neighbourhood that were used for irrigation have dried up, Saravanan K, another resident, said the groundwater level would improve if Nanmangalam lake was restored, which in turn would help avoid scarcity. 

The residents said though WRD officials had promised to restore the lake and ensure that it was kept safe from waste, nothing has been done so far. 

When asked, an official from WRD said the department has submitted a proposal to the government on restoring Nanmangalam lake. The work is expected to start by next year, he said. “Soon, the waterbody will be restored after we receive approval for the work,” said the official.

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