The Hindu : Front Page : Work on restoring Sholinganallur lake begins

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 15, 2006

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Work on restoring Sholinganallur lake begins

K. Manikandan

Bid to sell part of the water body as housing plots thwarted

PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN

REVIVING THE LAKE: Work to build a bund around `Rettaikenithangal Eri' at Sholinganallur in progress.

TAMBARAM: A water body in the southern suburbs has been saved thanks to voluntary initiative, official help and judicial action.

On Wednesday, restoration of the water body to its original size and to beautify it began.

The `Rettaikenithangal Eri', off Old Mahabalipuram Road, Sholinganallur, was originally spread over 22 acres. It helped groundwater recharge in nearby areas.

An individual claimed ownership of a four-acre portion of the lake and created housing plots there. When the Kancheepuram district administration started the lake deepening work in 2003, the claimants got a stay order on the ground that their `homes' were affected.

Sholinganallur residents and local activists allege that in the past few years attempts had been made to sell off the housing plots.

Earlier this month, a Chengalpattu court declined to grant possession of a portion of this lake to the claimants following the Kancheepuram Collector submitting that it was a poromboke land. The court said the `owners' failed to produce documents to support their claim.

Following Kancheepuram district Exnora members representing the matter to the Collector, construction of a lake bund by the activists was approved.

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