Sewage discharge sullies lakes in southern suburbs of Chennai

A network of waterbodies in the southern suburbs, including Chitlapakkam, Sembakkam, Nanmangalam, Keelkattalai and Kadaperi lakes, are getting polluted due to discharge of sewage and industrial effluents into them.

Local bodies in these regions remain mute spectators, citing the fact that these lakes do not come under their purview.

Members of Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association, Chitlapakkam, have complained of sewage being let into the Sembakkam lake by three localities around it. These areas, ironically, depend heavily on this lake to maintain a healthy water table.

Association members have also drawn attention to the issue of discharge of sewage into lakes through storm water drains. The residents have requested the Public Works Department (PWD) to take steps to close the sewage outlets.

However, officials of Sembakkam municipality have denied any discharge of sewage water into the Sembakkam lake.

Activist P. Viswanathan says execution of a well-planned and integrated underground drainage system for all the local bodies in the southern suburbs alone will solve the problem of lakes being contaminated owing to sewage inflow. At present, Tambaram and Pallavaram are executing underground drainage projects.

Such an integrated system will ensure the protection of 50 lakes and tanks found in the Padappai region of Lower Palar Basin Division of the Water Resources Department. PWD officials say they have been checking sewage inflow into lakes at the first instance of a complaint. They cite the example of Nanmangalam lake, where they not only closed a sewage channel but also removed encroachments.