By November end, eco-restoration work on Chitlapakkam Lake to start
Posted on: 15/Nov/2019 9:38:17 AM
Chitlapakkam near Tambaram is an important place in south Chennai. A lake present here is making news now.
It has been confirmed by WRD that the eco-restoration of this water body would start by the end of this month of November. The residents of Chitlapakkam would feel happy now because this important water body would be restored to its original glory.
Used for irrigation purposes, Chitlapakkam Lake is the uppermost tank in the Keelkattalai cluster of water bodies having ayacut area of219 acres. This superb lake has been in the neglected condition for many years now. The people belonging to Chitlapakkam have been fighting for the restoration of this lake is well known. The sedimentation in this lake has reduced the capacity of the Chitlapakkam Lake that was 7.02 million cubic feet by 24%. This has been over 3 decades of time.
In a few days, tenders for this Rs 25 crore project would be finalized and the restoration work would start by the end of November. Information is this de-silting work would be done with the help of TNPCB or Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and it would be finished in a year of time.
The tank bund would be strengthened and a new foreshore bund would be formed for a distance of 960 m and on the tank bund, a footpath would be laid. These activities would be carried out under the eco-restoration of this Chitlapakkam Lake. For the purpose of collecting sewage, a drain would be constructed on the foreshore of the lake. This sewage otherwise flows into the water body is known. In the next step, sewage would be conveyed to the proposed sewage treatment plant and later released into the lake.
It is worth mentioning that about 400 encroachments that have led to the shrinking of this lake would also be removed. Presently, the lake is spread over 50 acres. Several works are being implemented to provide relief to Chitlapakkam, Sembakkam and Selaiyur and they form a part of a flood mitigation plan. To construct a drain linking Chitlapakkam to Selaiyur Lake, work would be taken up.
It was later revealed by Mr P. Viswanathan, convenor, Chitlapakkam Resident’s Association’s Coordination Committee, that floodwater from Pachaimalai near Tambaram Sanatorium must also be linked to Chitlapakkam Lake. He spoke about how all the missing links between the clusters of lakes must be connected to allow free flow of surplus water from one lake to another and prevent flooding.
