Residents of Chitlapakkam have reason to cheer in the New Year. The Sembakkam lake, a source of water for the neighbourhood that is witnessing a real estate boom, will be restored soon.
Volunteers of Pratiks Enviro-Solutions, who restored the Madipakkam lake after thousands of fish died in it, plan to restore the Sembakkam lake. "We will approach the government with a proposal. We are planning to treat the water and ensure that fish do not die due to the inflow of sewage," said Dakshayani S Dalavai, managing trustee of the organisation. "The municipality must stop dumping garbage into the lake. Green algae and water hyacinth have to be removed permanently from the water body," she said.
As part of the procedure, the lake's water will be treated with bio granules, Dakshayani said. "We, along with corporation staff, cleaned up the Madipakkam lake and treated the water with oxygen granules. But the residents have to ensure that there is no encroachment and garbage is not dumped in the lake," she said.
Dakshayani said there has to be a concerted effort by all stakeholders to restore the Sembakkam lake which is a perennial source of drinking water for residents in the vicinity. "Water hyacinth which has covered a large portion of the lake has to be removed with earthmovers and chemicals sprayed so that the weed doesn't grow again. Our main motive is to save fish in the lake that has been dying for the lack of oxygen due to the dumping of garbage," she said.
Sembakkam residents blame the municipality for the mess. "The Sembakkam municipality dumps nearly 25 tonnes of waste daily into the water body that is spread over 104 acres. The stench is unbearable and the garbage, when burned, pollutes the air for miles," said M Ravi, secretary of the Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents' Association.
Residents had even moved the National Green Tribunal against the dumping of garbage in the water body but no remedial steps had been taken by the authorities concerned, Ravi said. "We have knocked on all doors for the upkeep of the lake but nobody is interested in restoring it. Water is taken out in tankers by the mafia and sold in other areas," he said.
Volunteers of Pratiks Enviro-Solutions, who restored the Madipakkam lake after thousands of fish died in it, plan to restore the Sembakkam lake. "We will approach the government with a proposal. We are planning to treat the water and ensure that fish do not die due to the inflow of sewage," said Dakshayani S Dalavai, managing trustee of the organisation. "The municipality must stop dumping garbage into the lake. Green algae and water hyacinth have to be removed permanently from the water body," she said.
As part of the procedure, the lake's water will be treated with bio granules, Dakshayani said. "We, along with corporation staff, cleaned up the Madipakkam lake and treated the water with oxygen granules. But the residents have to ensure that there is no encroachment and garbage is not dumped in the lake," she said.
Dakshayani said there has to be a concerted effort by all stakeholders to restore the Sembakkam lake which is a perennial source of drinking water for residents in the vicinity. "Water hyacinth which has covered a large portion of the lake has to be removed with earthmovers and chemicals sprayed so that the weed doesn't grow again. Our main motive is to save fish in the lake that has been dying for the lack of oxygen due to the dumping of garbage," she said.
Sembakkam residents blame the municipality for the mess. "The Sembakkam municipality dumps nearly 25 tonnes of waste daily into the water body that is spread over 104 acres. The stench is unbearable and the garbage, when burned, pollutes the air for miles," said M Ravi, secretary of the Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents' Association.
Residents had even moved the National Green Tribunal against the dumping of garbage in the water body but no remedial steps had been taken by the authorities concerned, Ravi said. "We have knocked on all doors for the upkeep of the lake but nobody is interested in restoring it. Water is taken out in tankers by the mafia and sold in other areas," he said.