CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to convert the 118 acres of land taken back from the Madras Race Club (MRC) into a waterbody to aid flood control and improve groundwater recharge in South Chennai.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, the decision was finalised at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary N Muruganandam on August 19, with officials from the WRD, CMDA, GCC and Horticulture Department present.

The WRD has been tasked with preparing a detailed plan on developing the site, located upstream of the shrinking Velachery lake, into a functional waterbody. The GCC has already created four ponds on the land, with a combined storage capacity of 4.7 million cubic feet.

The NGT’s southern bench has directed the state to maintain status quo until a comprehensive report is submitted. The tribunal is also hearing connected cases on the drastic reduction of Velachery lake, which has shrunk from 255 acres to less than a fifth of its original size.

Meanwhile, the WRD informed the tribunal that a Rs. 23.5 crore project is under way to desilt and deepen the Velachery lake, which would expand its capacity by 22 per cent. The matter is scheduled for further hearing in November, even as the MRC has disputed the government’s takeover, citing its lease valid until 2045.