Chitlapakkam aeri

History

Before urbanization, Chitlapakkam was an important agricultural area. The water from the lake was then used for irrigation. Pachamalai hill in the neighbourhood served as a source for the lake.

Until the 1980s, the waterfront provided recreation. The lake filled water tanks in the nearby areas of Sembakkam and Hasthinapuram. Till the early 1980s, groundwater could be found in the neighbourhood at a depth of just 5 feet. The water level did not fall below 10 feet even at the peak of summer. The area became a residential area chiefly due to the reason that the water was potable. The lake also attracted migratory birds and was a favourite spot for birdwatchers.

In 1990, the government planned to use the lake bed for construction of public utilities, namely, a district court, bus terminus and the Tambaram Taluk office. Residential layouts were planned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board on the lake bed. However, the locals resisted these governmental measures by means of a massive campaign to protect the lake and succeeded. The community also urged the Kancheepuram district administration to restore the lake. This resulted in strengthening of the lake bunds and raising their height to 10 feet in 2003. These measures increased the storage capacity of the lake. However, the lack of an underground drainage system in localities around the lake resulted in several gallons of untreated sewage flowing into the lake regularly. According to estimates by the public works department, as much as 175 encroachments have taken over various parts of the lake bed.

The lake

The total area of the water body is 86.86 acres. However, the water body has shrunk to 47 acres, chiefly due to encroachments.

After the conversion of agricultural farms into residential areas, the water from the lake is not used for irrigation. There are three channels at the foot of the hill, which have been connected to the Chitlapakkam Lake.

Because of the presence of lake, the water table level is higher compared with many other areas in Chennai. The level of water table in this area is 2.50 to 8 m, and the level of TDS is 400 to 900 ppm. Bird watching center From April-Sep you can view the Spot dotted pelicans, and round the year you can see the Grey heron in this lake, migrated pelicans make colony here its very closer to watch.

Pollution

The lake has been contaminated by the sewage from houses in the neighbourhood. Garbage from 15,000 households and sewage from 1,500 commercial establishments on GST Road make their way into the lake.

Dump Yard

The open space near a lake in Chitlapakkam has been converted into a dump yard. The dump yard has been in existence for more than a century. The city generates about 8 tonnes of waste every day. Sanitary workers of the local body dump 3 tonnes of waste generated by the town at the half-acre yard in front of the lake and set fire to it. The smoke generated creates woes to the general public and the patients who come to the adjacent government hospital.

The remaining 5 tonnes of waste is collected from 10,030 households in the 18 wards of the local body by Green Friends of Hand-In-Hand (HIH). It is segregated in a scientific method in a biocompost shed. HIH is a Kancheepuram-based NGO that specializes in solid waste management in the state.

Restoration

A major restoration work was initiated in June 2003, when an ₹ 4 million project was mooted for which funds were collected from various sources including the government, residents, individuals, residents’ groups, and philanthropists.

According to a report submitted to the Kancheepuram district administration, improvement work on the lake would require an estimated ₹ 4.5 million for the improvement of the lake. The public has funded ₹ 1.5 million and the state government is funding ₹ 3 million.

On 10 February 2013, work to build a 750-m pathway around the lake, at the cost of ₹ 45 lakhs, commenced. It is proposed that the lake will be used for boating and a garden will be maintained around.