“Imagine that we’ve passed nearly 37 waterbodies on our way from Savera Hotel to Nandanam now,” said Arun Krishnamurthy, founder of the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), pointing to high rises, commercial complexes and houses, which had once been sprawling lakes, ponds and channels.
Leading a group of 30 people on Monday afternoon, Mr. Krishnamurthy took them through the stories of the many waterbodies that the city was once home to and the condition of the existing ones as part of a ‘Lake Safari’, organised by the travel lounge ‘Wanderlust.’
Encouraging them to observe the lake and its surroundings, he asked the participants to think about the impact of urban pollution on the waterbodies and, in turn, the people in the city.
After the first stop at Adambakkam Lake, the safari made its way to the Pallavaram Periya eri or the Pallavaram lake, which on one side, has become a landfill. Just around 680 metres away, the participants were able to spot the smaller waterbody Thamarai Thangal on the way to the Keezhkattalai lake.
Painting a picture of what Meenambakkam would have been in the past, complete with views of the waterbodies surrounding the area from the top of the Tirusoolam hill, a discussion was prompted on how it would have been to sit by the lakes there during sunset or probably sit on the banks of the freshwater bodies for a small picnic.
Mr. Arun explained how the topography had been changed due to human activity on freshwater bodies which included encroachments and mindless dumping of garbage. “The city has nearly 300 waterbodies even today. Our focus should be on backing well planned development which takes our natural resources into consideration and does not leave us grappling with flooding or a drought-like situation,” Mr. Arun explained to the participants.
Wanderlust, according to its founder Shailaja Chetlur, aimed at bringing together curated experiences for people of all ages with a special focus on environment and spirituality. “Earlier on Monday, we took a group of school students on a lake safari to a different set of waterbodies including the Karasan Kaadu lake. We want people to take interest in their city as well as become more aware of the history associated with it,” she said.
Lena Subramaniam, a participant said that she saw awareness about the waterbodies as a positive first step. “From here, it is up to us to volunteer and do what little we can. Children too need to be taught about the ecosystem and geography in their backyard ,” she said.
At the Asarankazhani lake , Mr. Arun explained how the EFI had been working on its restoration for nearly six years. “We have spotted nearly 39 species of birds here. If we pitch in to help conserve the lakes and ponds in our city that have become polluted, any urban challenge that we are faced with in the future can be mitigated as well,” he added.
