The Perungudi Lake, once a pristine water body, is fast becoming a cesspool. The stench and the murky colour of the waterbody give away the fact that the culprit is undoubtedly sewage.
Residents in the area allege that sewage originating from a few housing colonies in the neighbourhood is being let into the lake on the sly. According to them earlier, the sewer lines from these apartment complexes had been connected to a stormwater drain that directly led to the lake.
After protests, the inhabitants of these colonies came up with the alternative of clogging the flow of the sewage by dumping sand in the hole that empties out directly into the lake.
However, this has not solved the problem as sewage continues to seep through the sand and the stagnant sewage has also been giving rise to a foul odour.
Residents are also worried that the stagnant sewage could become a breeding ground for disease. The inhabitants of the housing colony in question, however, denied having any knowledge of sewage being let into the lake.
“The stormwater drain was been constructed to help recharge ground water. But now it has become a sewage carrier. We are afraid that our ground water is also getting contaminated due to this,” said Dharamaraj Baabu Santhanan, secretary, Kurinji Nagar Residents Association.
“The lake is maintained by the Public Works Department. We brought it to the notice of the Chennai Corporation. But we are yet to see any change,” he said.
MLA K.P. Kandan said: “We received a complaint about sewage being discharged in the lake about six months ago. It was then being let out into the Pallikaranai marshland. But residents had a problem with that as well. I will look into the problem and take necessary action.”
