The once sprawling Keelkattalai lake is now reduced to a piece of land sandwiched between encroachments. The lake with pristine bio diversity supporting aquatic life and migratory birds has lost its sheen owing to pollution and unchecked dumping of sand eating in to its catchment areas.
Environmental activists have expressed concern over the eco degradation of the water body, which was a drinking water source till five years ago. “Despite a hue and cry to save the water body, encroachments go unchecked. The lake once used to attract rare birds and it enriched ground water table; but, now, there is no life in the lake,” rued Mr M.B. Nirmal Kumar, founder, Exnora International.
The district officials, silent when the lakebed was being eaten up, now say that they are not in a position to remove all the dumped sand, as it would be a costly affair. However, the local revenue officials denied that they were inactive and said instructions had been passed on to the New Life Assembly of God (NLAG) to refrain from filling up the lake.
Officials who conducted a sudden inspection were surprised by the vast area of land that had been levelled by sand. “They do not have the required patta and dumping sand to level the lakebed is illegal,” said an official.
But NLAG staff, Bro. Jeremiah, said, “All the allegation are wrong as we have the necessary documents.”
Meanwhile NLAG legal counsel John Peter maintained that the allegations were fabricated. There are necessary documents to substantiate the legal validity of the disputed land. The matter is pending in court and we will face the matter legally, he added.
“In a day, at least 50 tipper lorries were employed to fill the lakebed. Moreover, they employed security guards to chase away onlookers,” said a local resident who sought anonymity.