Tamil Nadu   

PWD to renovate lakes in Tambaram taluk

K. Manikandan

Notices have been issued to encroachers as part of government plans

TAMBARAM : Revenue officials in Tambaram taluk of Kancheepuram district have started issuing notices to encroachers in many water bodies of the taluk, as part of Government plans to improve and protect local water sources.

Staff of the Revenue and Public Works Departments have been carrying out joint efforts. Senior officials said the Government had allotted Rs. 410 crore to the PWD to de-silt lakes and tanks, strengthen their bunds and to increase the water storing capacity as part of a master plan for water bodies in Chennai region.

Engineers of the PWD said they would identify and demarcate land under their jurisdiction, prepare detailed estimates for carrying out improvement works even while studying the inlet and outlet channels of each tank and the network of channels that ensure flow of water from one tank to another.

In the first phase, they have identified 12 major lakes and tanks of Tambaram taluk, the engineers said. But to implement the schemes, they need to clear encroachments. To ensure that the lakes were free from encroachers, the Revenue Department has been serving notices to the occupants of unauthorised structures on lakes and tanks, under Section 7 of the Tamil Nadu Encroachments Act. The notices asked the occupants to show cause why their structures should not be demolished. Later, the final notices under Sec. 6 of the Act would be issued to them, officials said. So far notices have been issued to 650 families in various water bodies.

Recently, the officials conducted a study of encroachments in Alandur, Tambaram and Pallikaranai firkas and found 30-odd lakes and minor irrigation tanks having more than 7,500 encroachments, including 2,010 in Perungulathur and 1,900 in Peerkankaranai.

In Pallikaranai firka, there are about 6,000 encroachments in 30 lakes and tanks, and in Alandur firka, 1,550 encroachments in 10 lakes and tanks.

The officials said they would identify encroachments in Pallikaranai marshland, where water from the most parts of south Chennai drained. Many consider this marshland a boon to Chennai, but it has been ravaged by burning of garbage, discharge of sewage and unregulated construction activity.

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