Several thousand fishes died in a sprawling lake in Poosivakkam village near Wallajahbad in Kancheepuram district. While residents noticed a few dead fishes floating on the surface of the water earlier this week, many more were found along the banks since Thursday evening.
According to sources in Wallajahbad Panchayat Union, the death was due to contamination of the lake by effluents from several dyeing units in villages around the lake.
Once a source of fresh water for irrigation, Kadaperi lake is now rapidly degrading
Due to unchecked pollution, abetted by government agencies, a sprawling water body in Tambaram is under siege. The Kadaperi Lake in West Tambaram, has fallen a victim to pollution caused by unchecked discharge of grey water and sullage from homes and commercial establishments, as well as effluents from the Tambaram Depot of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
Government agencies yet to take action to protect the 60-acre lake
Residents of Keelkattalai are shocked and angry over the dumping of construction rubble into the Keelkattalai lake over the past few days. The lake, one of the few precious water bodies that hasn't, until now, been damaged by encroachment and pollution, presents a serene view to people travelling on the Pallavaram – Thoraipakkam Radial Road, say residents of Gandhi Nagar. Spread over 60 acres,
Unchecked encroachments and pollution are taking a severe toll on many lakes in the southern suburbs of Chennai, and the Perungalathur ‘periya eri' (big lake) is no exception. Originally spread over 150 acres, the lake's expanse is now less than 100 acres, due to unchecked construction of unauthorised structures, according to officials at the Kancheepuram District unit of the Public Works Department (PWD). Officials said that encroachments around the lake, which had began to trickle in some decades ago, had now assumed enormous proportions.
An important scheme to improve the health and lifestyle of residents in rural pockets around Tambaram and also to improve access to proper sanitation is in disarray owing to neglect on the part of State government agencies.
The Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) of the Ministry of Rural Development aims at elimination of open defecation in rural areas and ensuring that all households, schools and Children's Centres of Integrated Child Development Services or government-run creches have toilets. The scheme also mandates the construction of at least one integrated sanitary complex in every rural local body.
The ‘nalla thanni kulam' (good or pure drinking water pond) is an ancient water body in Venkatamangalam Village Panchayat of Kattankulathur Panchayat Union in Kancheepuram District. Long time residents of this village recalled that the tank was the only source of drinking water for residents.
“Even during the time of the zamindari system a few decades ago, the water from the pond was the source for the zamin family,” said Vembuli Mariappan, in his late sixties.
The headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project will be established at Nanmangalam Reserve Forest at a cost of Rs.8 crore, Forest Minister K. T.
