Chennai: The residents of Chitlapakkam in the city suburb may finally breathe easy as the garbage dumped near the Chitlapakkam lake is being removed after various protests and movements organised by them.
They local people are happy about the move and said a permanent solution should be arrived at to ensure that the garbage is not dumped near the waterbody in the future.
Activist Sunil Jayaraman of Chitlapakkam Rising said the authorities should stop letting in sewage into the lake and the waterbody be desilted.
Another resident, L Sundararaman, said the works should be completed before the rainy season.
“After removal of the garbage, the open space must be merged with the lake to increase its capacity to hold water during rain. I would like to thank all the activists, Tambaram MLA S R Raja and former MP C Rajendran for the steps they took to remove the waste,” he said.
Panchayat officials said the garbage is expected to be removed in two weeks’ time. “At present, 10 trucks are used to remove the waste. However, more vehicles will be used in the transportation. The waste is being transferred to a facility at Kolathur,” said an official.