Heightened activity was witnessed near the Ooty Lake on Thursday following an inspection of the lake and its surroundings carried out on Tuesday by the Principal Secretary, Environment and Forest, C.V. Shankar.
Study
The inspection carried out by district and civic officials followed a study which indicated that the Ooty Lake is one of the dirtiest lakes in the State.
Since the effluents from commercial buildings and houses flowing through the Kodappamund channel which cut through the town were found to be a major contributory factor for the lake being in its present polluted condition, municipal workers were entrusted with the task of diverting them.
Pumping station
Speaking to The Hindu , Municipal Engineer B. Ramoorthy said that with the help of sand bags the effluents accumulated near the pumping station in the Mini Garden abutting the lake were diverted to a well from which they were being redirected to the sewage treatment plant at Kandhal on the outskirts of the town.
Treatment plant
Stating that the measure would effectively stop effluents from entering the lake through the channel, he claimed that sewage was not a source of concern as it was being taken to the treatment plant through underground pipes.
Henceforth, only storm water would enter the lake through the channel.
He also said that workers of the water resource organisation were also engaged in preventing pollutants from entering the lake.
