Chennai: In a clear indicator as to why Chennai is going thirsty, a report from the public works department (PWD) show how city’s growth over the years had eaten into precious water bodies. A staggering 50 per cent of 19 major lakes located in and around Chennai have been encroached and there are close to 20,000 illegal structures! These encroachments have reduced lakes’ water spread area and acute water shortage in the region. The water bodies have become sites for residential houses and commercial structures and in some cases even been regularised.
The last consolidated report compiled by the special secretary, PWD, and submitted before the Madras high court was in 2008 on a public interest litigation (PIL) case pertaining to deteriorating status of water bodies in Chennai. A retired PWD official said the figure would be 70% now with skyrocketing land prices and demand for housing. The report, referred to by the southern bench NGT in the recent Porur case hearing, revealed that water bodies initially having a total area of 1130.86 hectares had shrunk to 645.81 hectares, thereby shrinking the storage capacity of the water bodies.
As a result, Chennai was compelled to draw its supply of drinking water from Veeranam taluk, which was hundreds of kilometres away from the city. A senior PWD official said the department was continuously trying to clear the encroachments on lakes and was drawing-up major plan to protect the lakes, which were less affected by encroachments. “Lakes are broadly categorised into three types. Category A: Tanks that do not have any problem in taking up the rehabilitation and restoration work. Category B: Tanks those are relatively large and essentially required to be restored at least partially for improving and sustaining the sub-soil water levels and ensuring pollution free environment. Category C: Tanks that are totally infested with encroachment and cannot be restored for the present.”
The PWD’s focus was to restore tanks falling under Category ‘A’ first. “We have surveyed and identified eight tanks for restoration and also drawing up a master plan for waterways and water bodies in Chennai Metropolitan Area”.Advocate and environment crusader D. Nagasaila told DC that some of the big encroachments were done by the government itself. “Many government offices and bus stands are built on the water bodies. “In the name of development, the city has caused irreparable damage to lakes. Successive governments failed to address the issue showing high degree of insensitivity. It’s not just the lake, the catchment area is equally important.
The Porur Lake was once spread over 800 acres and now reduced to just 200 acres”, she said. Chairman of Law Commission Justice A.P. Shah, who was the former Chief Justice of Madras high court, in an landmark judgement, had ordered that no civil court shall entertain any suit or proceeding in connection with the removal of encroachments in the water bodies and, also, directed the Tamil Nadu Government to take stern action against land grabbers who sold lands in water bodies to innocent purchasers. The authorities were also empowered to evict encroachers even without issuing notice. However, the orders are not implemented, feel water experts.
Meanwhile, advocate Rajasekhar, counsel for petitioner in Porur lake bund case, said he would like to draw the court’s attention towards encroachments in other lakes as well. “Once, there is a logical conclusion in Porur case. I will file another petition pertaining to encroachments in other lakes”.
