It appears religious beliefs play a more vital role than conserving the water bodies. In the pretext of religion, a line of temples has cropped up on the bunds of suburban lakes, flouting various environmental laws. Devotees in the suburban Chitlapakkam and Sembakkam may be delighted over the presence of the temples in the neighbourhood, but activists and environmentalists, who have been fighting to save the once sprawling water body, are agitated over the official apathy.
Chitlapakkam Lake, which sprawled over 88 acres in 1980’s has shrunk to half its size due to encroachments by local goons and politically influential people. “Temples of lord Ayappa, Nagavalli Amman and Sai Baba were built on the lake bunds. A former executive officer of the Chitlapakkam panchayat is part of it,” said a Chitlapakam volunteer. Temples built around the lake get hefty collections but maintain no proper accounts. “A temple was built with a mandapam in it. Anyone who utilises the mandapam for religious purposes pays a huge amount to the trust. They have taken advantage of religious sentiments of the people,” added the volunteer, seeking anonymity.
After the intervention of local residents who submitted a petition to the current panchayat executive officer, the extension of the Nagavalli temple here was stopped. A similar tale of exploitation can be witnessed at Sembakkam Lake, which has become a hub of encroachments. “Durgai Amman and Bhavani Amman temples are built in the Sembakkam lake premises. Individuals backed by local goons are indulging in such acts,” said S Sundar, an environmentalist.
Water from Selaiyur Lake reaches Chitlapakkam Lake, which pumps out excess water to Sembakkam lake. The natural course of water is affected, as the lakes are not de-silted, resulting in encroachments. “We have been fighting for the conservation of the lake since a decade. Immediate action against the encroachers should be taken to save our water bodies,” said P.Visvanathan, convener of Chitlapakkamresident’s association coordination committee.
