Chennai: Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents Association in Chitlapakkam, Chennai, recently organised a community walk in Sembakkam lake, where desilting work is in progress for the last one month.
Apart from the people of the Nagar, members from other welfare associations also took part. Former MP C Rajendran, who participated in the walk, assured his full co-operation for its rejuvenation and restoration.
Convener of Co-ordination Committee of Welfare Associations of Chitlapakkam, P Viswanathan, insisted that the desilting of the waterbody needed to be stepped up, thereby arresting the inflow of sewage from nearby local bodies from 22 inlets by diverting it to the nearby pumping stations. He also stressed the need for restoration of all the lakes, ponds and water channels up to Pallikaranai, to tackle the water scarcity. The representatives of Care Earth Trust, speaking during the walk, informed that the work here would be fast-tracked.
They also informed that the Sembakkam lake ‘clean-up’ programme by IIT-M scholars, along with other NGOs, is being held 20 July from 7 am to 9 am.
Former Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat president R Mohan was present on the occasion.
Earlier, R Murugan, a resident, welcomed the gathering and enumerated the continuous efforts of the association to restore the lake.
Secretary of the association, M Ravi, thanked all those who participated in the event and informed that but for the efforts of Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents Association for the past 20 years, this restoration would not have happened.
He also thanked the government for allotting necessary funds for reviving Chitlapakkam lake and other connected water channels.
During the walk, the members advised rainwater harvesting system at appropriate places to improve the groundwater table.