Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News item appearing in The Indian Express dated 03.11.2023 titled “Tamil Nadu: Activists allege drinking water supplied from Madambakkam lake in Tambaram contaminated with sewage, civic body disagrees” dated 29/11/2023.

The OA is registered in suo motu exercise of power on the basis of the news item titled “Tamil Nadu: Activists allege drinking water supplied from Madambakkam lake in Tambaram contaminated with sewage, civic body disagrees” published in ‘The Indian Express’ dated 03.11.2023.

As per the newspaper report, the water from the Madambakkam lake is provided for drinking to around 20,000 residents of Chitlapakkam and the allegation is that sewage is mixing with the drinking water and there is no water treatment plant. The newspaper report also said that the officials just chlorinate the overhead tanks before sending it to the residents through the water pipeline.

The tribunal directed the water samples of Madambakkam lake be collected and analysed for drinking water quality parameters and for faecal coliform MPN/100 ml by the laboratories of TNPCB and Regional Laboratory of CPCB, Bangaluru together and report to be submitted before the Southern Zone Bench, Chennai of the NGT. The court directed notices to be issued to authorities from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD)  and Tambaram City Municipal Corporation.