Chennai: Over 200 students belonging to National Service Scheme of SS Shasun Jain College for Women, Madley Road, took up the initiative to cleanse the huge water-body situated in Ellaiamman Koil Street, behind Kothandaramar temple in West Mambalam.
A press release said, the first phase of the project was taken up recently in association with Exnora Greater Chennai, West Mambalam.
Speaking on this, one of the co-ordinators of the college, Babu, also a resident of West Mambalam, said, “The pond is one of the largest water-bodies in the neighbourhood. But it is dry for the past several years and filled with bushes and garbage.”
“As the rainy season is nearing, the management took up the cause and deputed students of NSS who removed the trash in the first phase,” he said.
Apart from college students, volunteers and members of the Exnora movement also turned up in large numbers on the cleansing day for the successful implementation of the project.
About the next course of action, Babu said, “We are planning to organise the next phase which is to remove the obstacles in the pond and make it ready to receive and store rain water.”
It is to be noted that the above work had been taken up earlier by various forums like Environment Federation of India and also by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with its president and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly, MK Stalin, paying a personal visit to the pond.
Despite all this, without proper boundaries and maintenance, it became a victim to trespassing and dumping of waste on a mass scale.
Now the recent initiative to restore the same has brought in appreciation from locals. “Everyone is eager to see the space filled with water. It is good to see youngsters taking up this cause,” said Gomathi, a resident nearby.