While the rejuvenation work at Otteri lake resumed after a hiatus due to the week-long spell of rainfall, social activists pointed out that the stone-pitching work carried out by the Vellore City Municipal Corporation (VCMC) while strengthening the bunds have given way due to sand erosion.
Rain has loosened the soil and big boulders have been displaced, they said, adding that big craters may develop as days progress. This would lead to water seepage once the lake gets filled, they said.
Dried-up in summer
Measuring about a 100 acres, the lake, which supplies drinking water to Vellore city, had dried-up during this summer. The VCMC had initiated rejuvenation work to retain more rain water. Rain has helped increase the water level. However, there wasn’t enough storage to supply water from the lake.
The Otteri lake is a British era facility and excess water from the lake flows to the Vellore Fort’s moat through the Nicholson channel and then onwards to the Surya Kulam.
Located six km from Vellore, the lake receives rainwater run-off from the surrounding hills in Palla Idayampatti, Kolavimedu and Naickaneri.
The British put in place a natural distribution system when setting up the lake, by which water would flow to the ground-level reservoir in the municipality’s filter bed in Vellore.
Currently, the workers are in the process of building a walkers path and mending the inlet channels and surplus courses, to pave way for more water storage. Desilting upto the required level would be taken up, said an official
Six borewells were sunk inside the Otteri lake and one borewell outside the lake to supply water to the city during drought. Residents said improving storage in the lake would also help recharge groundwater aquifers in residential and agricultural areas around the lake.
While assuring activists that the matter will be looked into, an official said that the project is estimated to cost ₹8 crore and expected to be complete before March next year.
