Chennai: Residents of Adambakkam and Madipakkam have taken up the responsibility of cleaning up and rejuvenating Adambakkam lake on their own with help from various residents welfare association. More than 200 members of various associations and organisations including Sabari Green Foundation took up lake cleaning activities on Sunday. They removed thorny bushes, plastics and garbage dumped on the lake bed.
V. Rama Rao, coordinator of the project, appealed to Chief Minister to allot necessary funds for desilting and construction of pathway for walkers with lighting facility.“The construction of path for walkers will prevent further encroachment of the lake,” he said, demanding that the lake be deepened by 20 feet to store more water and prevent run off of rain water to the Veerangal Odai, which ultimately goes waste to the sea.
“The storage of 20 feet of water in Adambakkam lake will act as percolation source and help recharge water to an extent of six to 10 sq km benefiting the community. We have been demanding for a long time and now we are requesting the CM to intervene in the matter and the PWD or Chennai corporation should formulate a project to save the precious water,” he demanded. The lake, which was once spread over more than 100 hectares, has been reduced to mere 12 acres, laments, V. Subramani, founder, Sabari Green Foundation.
He said that the foundation has taken up lake cleaning activities every week to create awareness among the local people and government officials on the importance of protecting water bodies.
“We removed garbage and plastics from the lake. We have planted 30 saplings on the lake bed,” he noted. Alandur MLA VNP Venkatraman, corporation zonal chairman Parimala and Mahesan assistant commissioner, Zone 12, attended the meeting.
