Lake restoration sluggish, activists want it speeded up

Chennai: The 12-crore project for eco-restoration of the lakes at Perumbakkam, Adambakkam and the Vengaivasal Periya Eri by the water resources department in Kancheepuram district, and those at Sholinganallur and Alandur by the Greater Chennai and Tambaram Corporations was to be completed months ago. But not much has happened on the ground.Replies to RTI queries on Vengaivasal Periya Eri said 4 crore was spent on that lake alone. An engineer in charge of the project told TOI that there was a delay in starting work as encroachments had to be removed. “At Perumbakkam and Vengaivasal, bunds have been strengthened, fences have been set up, pavements are being laid and islands for birds to roost are being created. However at Adambakkam, encroachments have not been removed as there’s a case in court,” said the official. Asked why soil testing and plugging of sewage outfalls, which were part of the project, had not been done, the official said funds weren’t sufficient. Dinakaran, an activist from Vengaivasal, told TOI that in reply to his RTI query, officials said they had spend 60 lakh on strengthening the bunds, 1.3 crore on pavements, 40 lakh to set up two islands for bird nesting, 14 lakh to repair sluice gates and other canals. And though 30 lakh was spent on solar light posts, none could be found at the lake. And garbage was still strewn all around though 30 lakh was spent on its removal.Activists point out that putting up fences and laying pavements is not eco-restoration. Darwin Annadurai, environmental scientist from the NGO Eco Society India, said, “The first thing that needs to be done is to improve water quality and restore the lake’s ecosystem and engage the community around it to protect it. Garbage dumping and sewage discharge should be stopped first. All other sources of pollution should be identified and stopped. The second step is reclaiming the watershed, which may have been encroached. And the third is a detailed study of biodiversity, including flora and fauna, which needs to be restored.”
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