In an attempt to keep encroachers from usurping dried-up portions of Sembakkam lake bed, the government has started constructing fences around it.
The fence, officials hope, will also deter people from dumping garbage on the lake’s western fringes.
The decision to fence the lake is part of steps to revive measures to protect the waterbody, located near suburban Tambaram, say officials.
Originally spread over 150 acres, the lake’s expanse is now less than 100 acres, due to unchecked construction of unauthorised structures, according to officials at the Kancheepuram district unit of the Public Works Department (PWD).
Officials say the encroachments, in addition to those inside the original water spread area, have now assumed enormous proportions.
Earlier, the lake served as a source of drinking water for residents of surrounding areas, including Chitlapakkam and Sembakkam.
Recently, Pallavaram municipality rejuvenated a well inside the lake, thanks to the quick recharge of water.
“The front portion of the lake was cleaned, before the fence was created and we consider this the first step towards saving the ecosystem,” says M. Ravi, secretary of Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents Welfare Association.
According to him, Rs. 22 lakh has been allocated for cleaning the lake, but the work is yet to begin.
PWD officials say this problem is not restricted to Sembakkam, but persists in other rural and urban local bodies in the city suburbs.
An official says PWD cannot carry out rejuvenation work on Adambakkam Lake, despite funds being allocated, due to reasons including interference from vested interests.
