With the northeast monsoon settling down, residents of Pallavaram, Chromepet and Tambaram have appealed to the Public Works Department and the local bodies to de-silt and deepen waterbodies in the suburban areas.
S. Raghavan, a resident of Chromepet, said though the recent showers had provided some respite from the water crisis, the full benefits could not be reaped as the water bodies had not been de-silted or deepened. “Water bodies conserve rainwater and recharge groundwater levels. Being dumped with all kinds of garbage, the Veeraraghavan Lake, which comes under the jurisdiction of Thiruneermalai town panchayat, has shrunk in size,” he says. “If steps had been taken to strengthen the bunds and control illegal sewer connections into waterbodies, then rainwater could have been saved now. It’s the same with Pallavapuram Periya Eri, Narayanapuram Lake, Hasthinapuram Lake and Nalla Eri, east Tambaram.
The stormwater drains that are supposed to carry rainwater to the nearby waterbodies are dumped with trash and also contaminated with sewage,” residents said.
The residents have urged the municipalities to construct percolation pits, as they help in recharging groundwater tables and improving the quality of water.
When contacted, municipality officials said that steps were being taken to de-silt and deepen the waterbodies.
