Chennai: Pallavaram Periya Eri, the largest lake along the 14.3-km Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, continues to remain neglected despite crores of rupees being allocated for its restoration over the years. Encroachments, sewage inflow, water hyacinths and indiscriminate dumping of garbage have severely affected the waterbody.Once a freshwater source, the lake is now surrounded by at least 500 encroachments, including several located along its inlet and outlet channels. These channels are heavily clogged with plastic waste and garbage, affecting the flow of water to and from the lake.The lake spans around 120 acres, including nearly 40 acres on its southern side, receiving water through three major inlet channels from the Tirusulam Hills, Thiruneermalai via Moongil Eri, and Veeraraghavan Lake via Chromepet. Residents said these canals, which were once nearly 80 feet wide, have narrowed to just 5 to 10 feet due to encroachments, significantly reducing the lake’s capacity to receive water.In 2015, a ₹22-crore project was proposed for desiltation and rejuvenation of Pallavaram Periya Eri and Keelkattalai Lake. However, the project failed to take off due to jurisdictional disputes between the then Pallavaram Municipality and the water resources department (WRD). Later, under directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the municipality launched a ₹7.2-crore bio-mining and restoration project in 2018-19. The work suffered major delays, and the contractor eventually abandoned the project midway, leaving large quantities of waste uncleared on the southern side of the lake.Pallavaram currently receives an average water supply of 15.2 million litres per day (MLD), and this could be doubled if Pallavaram Periya Eri is restored and revived as a freshwater source. However, unchecked sewage inflow and continued encroachments have led to the degradation of the lake.David Manohar, a resident-activist from Pallavaram, said that while affordability remained a concern for sanitation workers, allowing them to stay inside a waterbody cannot be a long-term solution. “When restoration plans are implemented, these families will eventually have to be relocated. The corporation should identify alternate housing instead of allowing people to live inside the lake,” he said.Syed Shamsudeen, a resident of Pallavaram, said, “sewage from multiple commercial and residential buildings is being let into the lake illegally. Before restoring the lake, the corporation and Water Resources Department should cut the storm water drain lines that carry sewage into the lake and fine the offenders.”Officials from the WRD said a proposal for restoration work was submitted to the govt and that the work would begin once funds were sanctioned.Responding to concerns over the stalled bio-mining project, Tambaram corporation commissioner S Balachander said ₹2.3 crore had been allocated to remove the remaining legacy waste and that tenders would soon be floated to complete the work.
