The quality of water in several lakes around the city is deteriorating and becoming vulnerable to severe levels of pollution. A study on 10 lakes made by C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre has set off alarm bells on the steady degeneration of these waterbodies.
Water samples from lakes over the last two months in Velachery, Porur, Perumbakkam, Pallikaranai, Narayanapuram, Adambakkam, Madipakkam, Sembakkam, Pallavaram and Sunambu Kolathur were analysed for 10 parameters, including total dissolved solids, pH and presence of calcium, magnesium, lead, arsenic and e-coli.
According to the study, the lake in Perumbakkam is one of the most polluted water bodies with levels of many parameters exceeding the permissible limit. For instance, the total dissolved solids level in Perumbakkam lake was 3,998 mg/l, much higher than the permissible limit of 500 mg/l to be used for drinking purposes.
The water quality in Porur lake from where Chennai Metrowater is making arrangements to draw and treat water for city supply also had high TDS level and high alkalinity. However, the water quality in Pallikaranai and Narayanapuram is relatively better than other waterbodies that provides some solace.
Ganesh Pandi and Tirumala, who were part of the team that conducted the study, said samples were taken from four different sites of each lakes. “We tested for these significant parameters as the exceeding limits had an impact on health,” said Ganesh Pandi.
The Centre’s director, Nanditha Krishna, said the need for the study came up after she noticed that people were washing clothes and lorries and also fishing and fetching water from the same Porur lake. “I was concerned about the quality of water that we use. It is time that we preserved the water bodies from pollution and encroachments especially at a time of water crisis,” she said.
Recalling that there were about 150 lakes in and around the city about two decades ago, she said many of them have vanished. “We wanted to create awareness among people about the deteriorating water quality and stress on the need to protect them. The State government must create lake management authority on the lines of Karnataka. We plan to submit the findings of the survey to the government,” she added.
