NGT directs departments to take measures to maintain Korattur lake

CHENNAI: The Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to complete underground sewerage system in Ambattur and to also provide necessary sewage treatment plants (STPs) to treat liquid waste from discharging into Korattur lake.

The Korattur People’s Welfare and Awareness Trust petitioned NGT regarding the pollution caused at Korattur lake. The applicant stated that originally the lake was 990 acres, receiving water through rainfall and Ambattur lake. However, on account of encroachment, about 400 acres have already been lost. Besides illegal construction, miscreants are discharging untreated sewage waste into the Korattur lake, said the petitioner.

Further the application also stated that 10 feet of the lake bund area has been encroached and about 2-3 feet of the bund has shrunken. With industries situated near the lake, the application pointed out industries generating and emitting dangerous solid wastes such as effluents such as lead, arsenic, mercury, iron and so on.

Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati upon hearing the case disposed of the petition with a slew of directions to the concerned department.

The bench ordered the Avadi municipal commissioner to implement short-term and long-term measures to avoid discharge of untreated sewage into Korattur lake, while taking steps to finalise the scheme for providing underground sewerage system to collect the sewage generated in the region.

Additionally, the Water Resource Department (WRD) is directed to take all steps periodically to maintain Korattur lake by ensuring frequent desilting and weed removal. WRD has also been told to conduct survey in coordination with Thiruvallur and Chennai collectors to inspect encroachments into the water body.

The bench additionally directed the WRD to provide necessary maintenance of storm water drains, inlet and outlet to the Korattur lake and also surplus channel which drains excess water from Ambattur lake to Korattur lake. If any encroachments are found, the party will be penalised, noted the bench.