Heavy sewage flow drives people away from Paruthipattu Eco Park in Avadi 

The bad smell emanating from the water keeps the public away from the second eco park built in the suburbs around the lake and the surrounding green spread.

Local residents fear that the unchecked mixing ofsewage in the lake poses health risks to children and adults who want to frequent the eco park.

The state government restored the Paruthipattu Lake and built an Eco Park around it at a cost of Rs 28.16 crore. The restored facility meant to cater to the public in the suburbs was opened only in June this year.

Local residents, who were elated at the new recreational park in their area, now complain that foul smell comes from the lake making a visit to the park an unpleasant experience.

Suresh (46), a resident of Avadi, who used the park for his daily walk routine since it was renovated and opened to the public, claims that sewage flows into the water body every day without any deterrent.

“In the beginning, when I went for walks, I could see families picnicking by the water body and enjoying the facilities. Since the sewage flow is high, the entire park stinks and nobody comes to the park anymore,” he said.

He claimed that if no action was taken soon, all the money and effort spent on restoring the lake and building the eco park would go waste in no time.

The Paruthipattu lake, spanning across 87 acres, was inaugurated at a time when the city was reeling under its worst drinking water crisis and all the water bodies in and around Tiruvallur district had gone dry.

“It was a pride for us that we still had water,” said Kamlesh, a central government employee fromAnnanur. “However, now it turns out that it is mostly sewage water.”

When contacted over the issue, Avadi Municipality Commissioner Krishnamurthy said that steps were being taken to stop the flow of sewage into the water body. “We have received complaints from the public and are taking action. However, it is a temporary solution,” he said. “The permanent solution will be to implement the underground sewage system which will help to stop the flow of the drainage water into the lake. The process of implementing the underground sewage system has started and the works are being accelerated,”Krishnamurthy added.