Ambattur lake has shrunk by half

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Residents and civic activists are up in arms against lack of attention to the Ambattur lake. The sprawling lake has shrunk by over 50 per cent due to encroachments, and pollution goes unchecked.

Till ‘90s, this lake was a major source of drinking water for residents of Ambattur, Annanur, ICF Colony, Iyappakkam and Ayanambakkam. The lake has shrunk to half of its original size and all its catchment areas have been converted into real estate plots. The groundwater table has gone down in most of the adjacent areas, said Mr P.K. Dhamodharan, a retired secretariat staff.

“In 2010, Tiruvallur collectorate demolished more than 1,000 tenements encroaching upon the lake, but the encroachments are back,” said Mr K. Sugendran, a resident of Konrajakuppam, in Ambattur.

Despite complaints from the local body and public, the revenue and PWD authorities have failed to protect the lake. On Friday, a protest was organised seeking protection for the lake from encroachers and more such demonstrations will continue, Mr A.M. Durai Veeramani, president, Ayapakkam village panchayat, said.

According to government statistics, more than 30,000 families have encroached the riverbanks and water bodies in the Chennai metropolitan area. The lakes in adjacent Kancheepuram district also suffer from encroachments.