Chennai: Breathing life into dying water bodies
According to GCC, about 25 water bodies have been identified coming under Sholinganallur zone for undertaking restoration works.
Chennai: In an initiative to restore invisible and water bodies covered with hyacinth in the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has roped in a non-government organisation, Care Earth Trust (CET), and local communities to initiate ‘Wetland Restoration and Management’ project, in which works like desilting and bund strengthening are being undertaken.
According to GCC, about 25 water bodies have been identified coming under Sholinganallur zone for undertaking restoration works.Sources said that members of CET started taking up works in two lakes and ponds in Pallikaranai, Perungalathur, Puducherry Kani Kulam and Odai Kani Kulam. Members claimed that they completed restoration works in Narayanapuram and Perungaluthur and submitted reports to GCC officials, who later inspected the lakes.
Dr Jayshree Vencatesan, managing trustee of CET, who made several researches on wetlands across the country, told Deccan Chronicle, “For Chennai city to be resilient, it is absolutely essential that remnant wetlands within the city are protected, restored and conserved.”
Similarly, S. Vasantha Raja, project coordinator, CET, “We are also roping in local communities to create awareness about importance of water bodies. They also support us in taking up such works and we explained as to how encroachment around lakes and tanks remains as a big concern. The people, residing near water bodies assured of protecting lake and ponds from being encroached.”
Works like removal of silts and hyacinths and fencing were taken up, he added. Meanwhile, residents have welcomed the move. S. Michael, vice president, Muthuvelar Residents Welfare Association, Perungalathur, says, “the Perungalathur Periya Yeri once served purpose in terms of providing drinking water. As years passed by, the lake turned out to be like a forest with thorny bushes mushrooming. The recent works, taken up by residents along with a trust helped a lot.”
“The fact remains that Chennai region has many water bodies. However, most water tanks are covered with vegetation and invisible hyacinth. So, we have identified those ponds and lakes to take up works. Further, since encroachment ate a lot of spaces in the water bodies, we instructed the local people to remove encroachment before such project launched,” a senior GCC official told DC. The official exuded confidence that all the invisible water bodies located in the city would soon become visible, he noted.