Residents gather to save lake

‘Land sharks, encroachers usurping portions of Porur Lake’

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 10/09/2017: Members of the Arappor Iyakkam and the residents of Porur organising Human Chain to reclaim Porur Lake under the Porur Flyover on Sunday. Photo: M. Vedhan.

Several schoolchildren and residents participated in a human chain on Sunday, organised by Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, in an effort to save the Porur Lake from extinction. The residents, holding placards, gathered on Mount-Poonamallee Road from Porur junction up to the lake bed.

Participants said land sharks and encroachers were usurping portions of the lake with the connivance of officials. This should be stopped and the lake rejuvenated to store more water, they demanded.

Further encroachment of the Porur lake, which originally sprawled over 400 acres, should be prevented to improve more the storage of water. The water body has now shrunk to 240 acres,” said S.A. Haris Sulthan of Arappor Iyakkam.

The participants also suggested that the lakes in the city be developed and maintained as neighbourhood places of leisure with walkways and seating arrangements.

The NGO had earlier conducted a social audit on waterbodies and submitted the demands to the State government, but there has been no response.