Restoration work at Adambakkam lake begins

Sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 23 crore, the project to rejuvenate the lake has been on the anvil for more than four years. Now it has finally been taken up after various developmental works were carried out in the vicinity of the waterbody.

“Currently, the PWD is carrying out the works related to strengthening of the bund. Under this project, we will desilt the lake and carry out all the works required for the rejuvenation of the waterbody,” said an official.

The lake, which once spread across 20 acres, has now shrunken to just 4 acres due to encroachments, said V Subramani, a social activist and resident of Nanganallur. Over these years, the local residents had sent several representations to officials, urging them to remove the encroachments. But nothing concrete has emerged out of it so far.

“The lake was disturbed umpteen times in the last seven years. Pillars were erected inside the lake during the construction Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS). In addition, sewage was let into the waterbody. This is mainly because there are no stormwater drains or underground sewage networks available in this locality. The rampant encroachments of both kuccha and pucca houses have already shrunken it,” he said.

For the residents in and around the lake, the waterbody once used it to recharge the groundwater table. But now, they have to depend on deep borewells to pump the water. “The actual purpose of the waterbody was lost a long time ago,” rued a resident of Nanganallur.

A PWD official said, “The works will be completed in another couple of months. We are in the process of restoration of lakes across the city. With regard to the unplugged drainage, the Greater Chennai Corporation has to take a concrete step to mitigate the situation.”