Don’t kill Korattur lake: National Green Tribunal to units

The trust has also got the tribunal to direct the State to file a status report as to how the Rs 20 crore allocated for the lake’s improvement has been utilised. Besides rampant encroachments, the Korattur lake has turned into a dump for industrial effluents, untreated sewage and garbage. The lake, which was originally spread out to an extent of 990 acres with rain water and surplus water from the Ambattur lake being the source has now dwindled to a mere 594.2 acres. 

Even the lake bund which was 10 feet has reduced to a mere two to three feet posing a danger for people living nearby. Besides, the failure to clear aquatic plants like Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia, which clearly indicates that the lake water is most polluted has also been given a go by. The said aquatic plants and other pollutants have given rise Chironomus plumosus larvae (insect) otherwise called as midges or blood worm breeds rapidly and spreads over the area causing health hazards for people. D Kamatchi, council appearing on behalf of the trust, said “The worst part is the dumping of effluents by the industries situated around the lake. The industries generate and emits most dangerous solid waste, effluents and putrefying chemicals which contain lead, arsenic, mercury, iron, hydrogen sulphate and others, which directly flows into the lake making the water change from bad to worse. 

Moreover, the pumping station at the Ambattur Industrial Estate does not have sufficient capacity to treat the effluents let out by the industries and the said pumping station is also not in working condition.”