Residents, volunteers and school students planted about 600 palm seeds along the lake bund on Thursday.
Residents have demanded that the Sembakkam lake be restored along with a new bund and measures to prevent sewage discharge and encroachment.
Residents say that despite restoration efforts in the past, the lake, spread over 110 acres, continues to be an easy prey to sewage pollution and encroachments. Several residents, volunteers, school children and elected representatives planted about 600 palm seeds along the lake bund near Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Second Main Road.
Members of the Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Residents Welfare Association said their efforts were aimed at preventing further encroachments and to reclaim green space. Though various interventions were carried out in the past, including restoration efforts with NGOs, raw sewage continued to flow into the lake.
Residents demanded measures to strengthen bunds on all sides of the lake and to prevent sewage from entering the lake through stormwater drains and other inlets.
M. Ravi, the association’s secretary, said the lake lacked a proper bund in north and south sides near Maheswari Nagar, Iyappa Nagar and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar. “The width of the bund near Sri Sarvamangala Nagar Second Main Road must be reduced as a portion of it extends into the water spread area,” he said.
It may be recalled that the lake was one of the waterbodies chosen for lakefront development by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. “We don’t want park or paved pathways like in other eco-parks. We want the lake to be rejuvenated as a freshwater source with sufficient inlets for groundwater recharge and flood mitigation,” Mr. Ravi said.
Residents also wanted measures to tackle garbage dumping and establishment of a police outpost. Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja and officials from the Water Resources Department will inspect the lake on Saturday to discuss the progress of the project.
Published – August 22, 2025 01:03 am IST
