Water supply project irks Madambakkam residents
It is expected to draw 20 lakh litres of water per day.
Published: 16th February 2019 01:54 AM
The 240-acre lake is a seasonal lake
By Express News Service
CHENNAI: The residents of Madambakkam have filed four public interest litigation petitions pointing out the irregularities about the water supply project being undertaken in the area — one each in November and July, and two in October 2018. The `3 crore-project involves digging of 40-feet deep wells in the Madambakkam lake area and laying of pipelines of six-km length up to Chitlapakkam town panchayat. It is expected to draw 20 lakh litres of water per day.
However, despite the litigations, work is on in full swing and almost 70 per cent of the project has been completed.
“The 240-acre lake is a seasonal lake, which means that the lake only gets filled during the rainy season, and there is no stream from which it gets water. Already, 40 per cent of the lake is eaten up by encroachments and if wells are dug in the remaining water body, there won’t be any groundwater left,” said A Krishnan, a member of Madambakkam Lake Committee, which was formed in June 2018 to save the lake.
Of the 20 lakh litres that will be drawn every day, the project proposes to supply 18 lakh litres to Chitlapakkam town panchayat and two lakh litres to Madambakkam. This decision has been taken because of a faulty report submitted to the Public Works Department (PWD) for the NOC, allege locals.
One of the locals, on condition of anonymity said, “The agricultural land as per patta is spread across 1,200 acres, but it has been shown in the report as 204 acres. Due to this, the groundwater requirement of the area has been shown low. Also, Madambakkam population is only three-four per cent lesser than Chitlapakkam, then why such a big difference in water supply? The lake measurements are also faulty.”
Adding to this, Krishnan said Chitlapakkam has four lakes in a two-km radius including Chitlapakkam, Sembakkam, Selayur and Rajakilpakkam. “Water can be drawn from those lakes instead of laying six-km pipelines up to Madambakkam,” he said.
The officials of the local town panchayat did not want to comment as the issue has been taken up by the court. The residents will hold an expert session on February 16 on adverse affects of digging wells within the lake.
It is expected to draw 20 lakh litres of water per day.
Published: 16th February 2019 01:54 AM
The 240-acre lake is a seasonal lake
Ashwin Prasath
By Express News Service
CHENNAI: The residents of Madambakkam have filed four public interest litigation petitions pointing out the irregularities about the water supply project being undertaken in the area — one each in November and July, and two in October 2018. The `3 crore-project involves digging of 40-feet deep wells in the Madambakkam lake area and laying of pipelines of six-km length up to Chitlapakkam town panchayat. It is expected to draw 20 lakh litres of water per day.
However, despite the litigations, work is on in full swing and almost 70 per cent of the project has been completed.
“The 240-acre lake is a seasonal lake, which means that the lake only gets filled during the rainy season, and there is no stream from which it gets water. Already, 40 per cent of the lake is eaten up by encroachments and if wells are dug in the remaining water body, there won’t be any groundwater left,” said A Krishnan, a member of Madambakkam Lake Committee, which was formed in June 2018 to save the lake.
Of the 20 lakh litres that will be drawn every day, the project proposes to supply 18 lakh litres to Chitlapakkam town panchayat and two lakh litres to Madambakkam. This decision has been taken because of a faulty report submitted to the Public Works Department (PWD) for the NOC, allege locals.
One of the locals, on condition of anonymity said, “The agricultural land as per patta is spread across 1,200 acres, but it has been shown in the report as 204 acres. Due to this, the groundwater requirement of the area has been shown low. Also, Madambakkam population is only three-four per cent lesser than Chitlapakkam, then why such a big difference in water supply? The lake measurements are also faulty.”
Adding to this, Krishnan said Chitlapakkam has four lakes in a two-km radius including Chitlapakkam, Sembakkam, Selayur and Rajakilpakkam. “Water can be drawn from those lakes instead of laying six-km pipelines up to Madambakkam,” he said.
The officials of the local town panchayat did not want to comment as the issue has been taken up by the court. The residents will hold an expert session on February 16 on adverse affects of digging wells within the lake.
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