Respite for residents as municipality stops UGD work on Nemilicherry lake

Earlier this week, the Municipality had taken up the work to arrest the flow of sewage into the waterbody. “The civic body had started the works of laying pipelines for the underground network a couple of days ago. We opposed the decision because it would legalise the encroachments that have shrunken the size of the waterbody,” a resident said on condition of anonymity.

Concerned over this, a group of residents made a representation with the PWD authorities, who intervened and brought the works to an abrupt end.

Amid this development, the authorities from the civic body met a group of residents on Thursday in an effort to convince them to give up their opposition to the project. “They urged us to support the plan stating that the restored lake will be saved from the further pollution. Their main contention is that it would provide a permanent solution to the discharge of sewage into the lake,” said a member of the Residents’ Welfare Association.

The lake enjoys an overwhelming support of the residents, who pooled in funds to rejuvenate it in the beginning of the year. Subsequently, the PWD authorities undertook the pending works pertaining to the restoration of the lake, which was completed a month ago.

An official from the civic body said, “We halted the works of laying the UGD pipeline two days ago. We will find an alternative solution to this problem.”