Several areas in Tiruninravur were among the worst affected during the deluge in 2015. In a bid to mitigate inundation this year, the Water Resources Department has started work to rejuvenate the Tiruninravur lake.
Spread over 330 hectares, the Tiruninravur lake is one of the biggest in the western suburbs. It has a capacity of about 200 million cubic feet of water. It continues to irrigate nearly 400 ha of agricultural land in localities such as Perumalpattu and Veppampattu. Residents recalled that several localities, including Periyar Nagar and Muthamizh Nagar, were marooned under sheets of water several days after the rain stopped.
E. Govindan, a resident of Prakash Nagar, said low-lying areas near the Tiruninravur railway station were affected in 2015. As there was no proper way to channelise surplus water, many localities remained inundated. About 2,000 families were affected for more than a month. Welcoming the initiative to build a channel to link excess water to Cooum river, he said the channel must be kept free of vegetation and encroachments.
Officials of the WRD said about 330 encroached structures had been issued notices so far. “We are now building a covered concrete channel for a distance of nearly one km and link to Cooum river. Damaged sluices will also be repaired. This will help reduce flooding in the neighbourhood,” said an official.
Revenue potential
The department has also submitted a proposal to the government to restore the lake at a cost of ₹5 crore. The works include strengthening of the bund and deepening of the lake. It has been estimated that a revenue of nearly ₹8.86 crore would be generated through the sale of soil removed from the water body.
Once rejuvenated, the lake would also serve as a groundwater recharge source to many areas.
