Chennai: Four acres of Korattur lake’s western water spread, long encroached upon and choked by invasive Prosopis juliflora (seemai karuvelam), have been cleared and are set to be turned into a green lung for the city, with a pond to be formed on four grounds of land near the stretch. The restoration was made possible by CSR funds from Lucas TVS. Namita Venkataraman, who heads HR, said the company would maintain the newly planted saplings for the next five years.R Sekharan, founder of Korattur Aeri Padhukappu Makkal Iyakkam (Kapmi), said nearly 1,000 saplings of about a dozen native species will be planted along the lake’s edge — Indian jujube (ilandhai), bur flower (kadambam), bamboo (moongil), Indian butter tree (iluppai), Indian blackberry (naaval), fig (atthi maram), Madras thorn (kodukkapuli), golden shower (sarakkonnai) and peepal (arasa maram).Several semi-permanent structures had come up in the water spread despite earlier rounds of eviction. “Advertisement banners were put up saying plots were available in the area with patta numbers falsely created for it,” Sekharan said. A senior water resources department official said sometimes encroachers are provided with electricity connections, which emboldens them to begin construction.
