With the spectre of water scarcity in summer haunting them, residents of New Colony, Chromepet, Durga Nagar and Pachai Malai, Tambaram Sanatorium and Thiruneermalai have reiterated their demand for the de-silting of Veeraraghavan Eri, a major water resource in the area.
In December 2016, a few days after Vardah, V. Santhanam, an environmental activist, wrote to the St.Thomas Mount Panchayat Union seeking that steps be taken to have the lake de-silted. But, only water hyacinth was removed from the waterbody.
“The lake should be de-silted, deepened and bunds should be formed. Similarly, steps must be taken to arrest discharge of sewage from Chromepet, Thiruneermalai and Tambaram Sanatorium into the waterbody. No funds have been allocated for these works,” says Santhanam.
In fact, the work of weeding out water hyacinths to be taken up. For, this problem has cropped up again. A luxuriant growth of water hyacinth has choked the oxygen supply in the water, killing the fish.
“Every year, hyacinth grows wildly in the waterbody, affecting the fish population. If steps are taken to weed out the hyacinths and restore the lake, the groundwater table will get recharged in Tambaram Sanatorium, Chromepet and Thiruneermalai,” S. Vasantha, a resident, said.
Residents also pointed out that steps must be taken to construct sluice gates on the waterway, to control water levels and flow rates.
At present, excess rainwater in the lake flows into Bay of Bengal through Thiruneermalai lake and Adyar river (Anakapathur). The lake, spread over 25 acres, is littered with all kinds of waste. Encroachments and discharge of sewage from residential houses have contaminated the waterbody.
“I have filed an RTI asking the St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union to provide details of the measures that have been planned to restore the waterbody. Other details that have been sought include the original area of the lake and its current area, the date when it was last de-silted, and the steps that have been taken to prevent discharge of sewage into it. There has been no reply yet,” the activist pointed out.
PWD officials said lack of funds is the reason for the delay in rejuvenating many waterbodies and waterways in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.
“Once funds are sanctioned, work for the revival of waterbodies will begin,” they said.
