When the Corporation constructed a stormwater drain network in our area which includes the Pachaiyappa’s College Hostel Road, Nowroji Road and McNichols Road in Chetpet, it was designed to get the rainwater to flow into Cooum via the SWDs.
As the Chetpet lake was located close-by, Association members met the Corporation officials and requested that the SWD network be connected to the waterbody so that our groundwater level would be enhanced. A Corporation team made a visit, following which the design was tweaked as requested by the Association. On account of rainwater being directed into the Chetpet lake, the groundwater table increased.
Now, rainwater from KMC on the northern side and Daspuram on the eastern side flow into the lake. In some areas, there are illegal sewage connections, and due to this, the SWDs are filled with sewage, and the polluted water makes it to the lake.
In 2015, when a major flood happened, the eastern side of the Chetpet lake came under sheets of water, and residents of localities on the eastern side complained about this problem. To check flooding of the areas on the eastern side, major changes were effected in our area, which lies on the western side of the lake. As part of this exercise, the SWD network was blocked with a shutter; and a new SWD network was constructed within Pachaiyappa’s College Hostel (this network starts at the hostel gate, runs alongside the hostel and college compound wall, and ends at Harrington Road, where it flows into the Cooum. It may be noted that this diversion was carried out only after Chetpet lake had been developed into an eco-park.
With the water flow into Chetpet lake being stopped in this manner, the water level in the waterbody leaves a lot to be desired; as a result, the groundwater table has been affected. If there is heavy rain, the shutter on the original SWD network connected to the Chetpet lake should be opened so that excess water would flow into the lake. Corporation officials met Fisheries Department, which owns the Chetpet Eco park, to ensure their cooperation in this matter.
There are two things to be done in the interest of Chetpet lake. One, the old system of rainwater being carried to the Chetpet lake via SWDs should be restored; and two, there is a sewage treatment plant at the Chetpet eco-park to treat the water flowing it. However, walkers in the area complain of a foul odour emanating from the waters of the lake, and so we request that the STP unit be run optimally to prevent such things.
(Deepak Sarangapany is committee member, Nowroji Road - Pachaiyappa’s College Hostel Road Association)
