Long-neglected Vilinjiyambakkam lake inches closer to restoration
In a step towards restoring long-neglected lakes in the city's western fringes like Vilinjiyambakkam lake near Avadi, the Water Resources Department has started clearing encroachments. Residents have demanded that the long-pending lake rejuvenation be initiated to improve them as potential drinking water sources.
Following the recent drive to clear a portion of encroachments in Kovilpadagai lake, which has a larger storage capacity than Retteri, the department has initiated a similar exercise in Vilinjiyambakkam lake.
It has cleared nearly 36 encroachments, including commercial establishments and those occupied by tenants. The department has identified nearly 350 encroached structures in the lake and is removing encroached structures in a phased manner. The present drive is being carried out following the Madras High Court directive, officials said.
About 10,000 sq.ft. of land belonging to the lake has been retrieved. The lake, which falls under Cooum sub-basin, has remained abandoned without desilting or deepening efforts for several years now.
Residents noted that the lake that has localities like Sekkadu and Thiruverkadu in its periphery was vulnerable to release of sewage and encroachments. There has been a delay in restoring the lake despite demands for improving the source of groundwater recharge, they said.
T.Sadagopan, a resident of Pattabiram, said the rejuvenation of the lake would help resolve the long pending issue of sourcing drinking water for areas falling under Avadi Municipal Corporation. Several households are still waiting for water connections. With Avadi receiving intense rainfall during Northeast monsoon in recent years, it is important to restore the water bodies to reduce flooding in the localities.
Jothilakshmi Narayanaprasad, Zone 4 chairman, Avadi Municipal Corporation, said the civic body has sent a Rs.10 crore project proposal to Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited to develop the water body on the lines of Paruthipattu lake and eco-park. There are also plans to treat the water in Vilinjiyambakkam lake and convert it as a drinking water source.
The corporation would also have to address demands of residents in areas like VOC Nagar and Shanmugapuram who have sought rehabilitation. Officials of the WRD noted that further steps would be taken after peace talks with residents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Man collects 70 tolas of gold, cash from AI 171 crash site; hands it to officials
1 2 Gandhinagar: When news broke of a plane crash at B J Medical College, 56-year-old construction businessman Raju Patel did not hesitate. Just minutes away, Patel rushed to the site with his associates and arrived within five minutes of the crash. What he witnessed was chaos: thick smoke, rising flames, and cries for help. Amid the fire and devastation, He helped move the injured and later took on the task of sifting through the wreckage for gold jewellery, cash, and documents which he later handed over to the investigating authorities. "For the first 15 to 20 minutes, we could barely get close. The fire was too intense. But once the first fire brigade arrived, followed by 108 ambulances, we jumped in to help," the 56-year-old recalled. With no stretchers in sight, they used sarees and bedsheets to carry the injured to ambulances. With immediate rescue work almost completed by about 4pm, Patel and his team turned to another critical task. They began sifting through the burnt bags strewn all over the place. "We found 70 tolas of gold jewellery in boxes apart from bangles and other ornaments. We also found Rs 80,000 in cash, a copy of the Bhagawad Gita, and passports from the bags. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 새로 나온 '실손보험' 최적가 비교추천! "월 보험료 줄이고, 보장은 더 든든하게"... 굿리치 보험대리점 (등록번호:제2006038313호) 가입하기 Undo We collected all these and handed them over to the authorities," he told TOI. Authorities permitted them to continue working at the site until 9pm that evening. "I'm just grateful we could do something," the businessman said. O n Sunday, Minister of state for home, Harsh Sanghavi, said that items belonging to victims are being collected, documented, and will be returned to the next of kin of the deceased in the crash. Patel, who had previously volunteered during the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, said this was the most devastating emergency he had ever witnessed. "I was just 100m away from the Civil Hospital when a bomb exploded, killing several people. However, the destruction, the flames, the loss wrought by the crash is something I will never forget," he said.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt schools, students involve in traditional uppad pachir process
1 2 3 Mangaluru: Several govt schools across the region are reviving the age-old tradition of making the traditional and popular 'uppad pachir' or 'uppad pachil', a method of preserving raw jackfruit in brine. As part of this initiative, students, teachers, parents, and local residents are actively involved in the process. Aravind Kudla, a teacher at DK ZP Higher Primary School Moodambailu, Vittal, said that the school was preserving raw jackfruit in brine before Covid, a tradition that's both practical and educational. "When vegetable prices soar, or even otherwise, we rely on 'uppad pachir' for preparing vegetable dishes on at least 25 to 30 days a year," he said. The school sources raw jackfruit from nearby homes and preserves it in 100-150-litre drums, with both students and teachers actively participating in the process. This year, the school preserved about 30 jackfruits using around 15 kg of salt. "The curry prepared from this brine, especially during festivals or special occasions, is delicious. Also, buying jackfruit preserved in brine from outside is expensive, one kilogram can cost around Rs 500," he noted. The practice also offers a valuable learning experience. "Students learn about sustainable food preservation and value-added products. There are even Farmer Producer Organisations in villages that buy raw jackfruit due to the growing demand for jackfruit chips. The initiative is inspired by a local farmer. The seeds are dried and later used to prepare sambar. In the future, we may explore processing jackfruit seeds. This is a life experience; it takes about a month for the brining process to settle, and the children truly enjoy being part of it," Aravind added. At the Govt Higher Primary School in Nallur, Karkala, the preparation of 'uppad pachir' has become an annual celebration over the past eight years. "This initiative was started to preserve the tradition of Tulunadu and promote awareness about jackfruit as a superfood," said headmaster Nagesh. "The speciality this year is we harvested about 40 jackfruits from the seven trees planted in our school grounds. Unlike previous years, when we sourced jackfruit from the surrounding community. The saplings were initially provided by the social forestry division. The preserved jackfruit will be used once a week as part of the midday meal programme," headmaster Nagesh added.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Offshore breakwater project remains stalled
T 'puram: Even as the city's coastline saw significant damage in the previous monsoon seasons, state govt's proposed offshore breakwater project at Shanghumugham was dropped. The project, once seen as a crucial step to protect the fragile beach from further erosion, remains stalled, with no permanent or scientific solution in sight. Sources close to the irrigation department said the offshore breakwater plan was dropped and a revised approach is now being developed to implement shore-based protection methods instead. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), which agreed to fund the project, reportedly requested design modifications before releasing the funds. Discussions are currently ongoing with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) in Chennai, which has been tasked with redesigning the proposal. The initial detailed project report (DPR) and cost estimates for the offshore structure were submitted to ADB in June 2024, but the plan failed to move forward. Meanwhile, another proposal to build a basic protection wall of Rs 1 crore, first mooted over a year ago, was also not implemented. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo An irrigation department official told TOI that construction of the protection wall was handed over to the harbour engineering department last year due to financial constraints of the irrigation department. However, the work has been stalled since then, the official said. According to Antony Raju, MLA, the govt is now considering the installation of geotubes, small geotube structures similar to those being tested at Poonthura Beach. These structures are believed to provide protection without compromising the natural aesthetics of the beach. "We are evaluating whether the geotubes at Poonthura are effective during the monsoon. If they are, we will replicate the method at Shanghumugham. If we use boulders and stones, the beauty of the beach will be lost and it will no longer be attractive for tourists. Besides, the fishermen are also against the offshore breakwater as it could affect fishing," Raju said. He also revealed that KIIFB has sanctioned Rs 190 crore for coastal protection work from Poonthura to Kochuthoppe near Shanghumugham, with Rs 19 crore specifically allocated for the Poonthura stretch. According to Raju, if state govt gives a green signal, work at Shanghumugham can begin at the earliest. The urgency of action has been highlighted by the recent destruction caused by rough seas and heavy rain in the region. In the past two days, several houses near Shanghumugham, Veli and Vettucaud were damaged due to coastal erosion. The district administration has ordered affected families to shift to relief camps as a precautionary measure.
