The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Concern at damage to lake bund

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Friday, Apr 17, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Concern at damage to lake bund

K. Manikandan

Slight damage was done to the bund because of road widening works: officials

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

A portion of the Veeraraghavan lake was scooped for a road widening work recently.

TAMBARAM: A section of residents of Tiruneermalai and Chromepet have voiced concern at the damage to the bund of Veeraraghavan Lake, as they fear that that it will weaken the mud wall around the waterbody leading to problems for the localities in the neighbourhood.

A narrow mud road abutting the sprawling lake on its western end connects the Tamil Nadu Housing Board Quarters near Tambaram Sanatorium with the Lakshmipuram area of the Tiruneermalai town panchayat. Two weeks ago, the town panchayat began works preliminary to improvement works, including provision of a bitumen-topped surface and widening of the existing mud road. It awarded the work to a private contractor.

However, residents were shocked to note that a couple of feet of the lake bund were scooped for a distance of more than 100 metres to widen the road. Pointing out that it was a clear violation to tamper with, let alone damage, the lake bund, members of the Tiruneermalai chapter of Neer Exnora wondered if any government agency had power to alter the characteristics of the bund.

While agreeing that there was a need to create or improve access to areas that lacked them, an office-bearer of the voluntary organisation asked which government agency would own up for the damage to the lake bund.

Earlier, the basement for electricity posts was sunk in the bund and now after the widening, these posts would stand completely exposed. Once the roadwork was completed, they would come in the way of flow of traffic and would have to be shifted by a couple of feet, he said.He recalled that in June last year, the sluice gate of the ‘Putheri’ Lake, also called Ranganathapuram or Kadaperi Lake, was damaged. He underscored the need for the Public Works Department and the St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union in Chitlapakkam, which are responsible for maintenance of tanks and lakes in the southern suburbs of Chennai, to maintain vigil over waterbodies. If they were able to do so, it would not be possible for contractors and groups to act with impunity. Staff at the Tiruneermalai town panchayat said that people driving two-wheelers and cars found it difficult to reach Lakshmipuram from the TNHB Quarters as the existing mud road was in a poor shape.

Hence widening this stretch was imperative.

Without denying that a portion of the lake bund too was taken up during the widening work, the authorities said it was not a damage or sabotage and residents need not worry.

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