CHENNAI: Chengalpet revenue officials identified 562 houses on the northern side of a lake in Urapakkam, a suburb of Chennai, as encroachments and assured the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that squatters will be evicted within six months.
During a recent inspection, officials found these houses were releasing untreated sewage directly into the 62-acre Karanaipudhucheri lake. The issue was brought to notice by a group of Urapakkam youths, who in January 2020 collected Rs 20 lakh through a crowdfunding campaign to clean the lake.
When NGT Southern Zone came across this, it constituted a joint-committee with representatives from the revenue department,
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
(TNPCB) and
Urapakkam panchayat
to look into the matter and suggest remedial measures.
In August 2020, the committee confirmed that the lake fringes was being used as a dumping ground and directed local authorities to clean the accumulated waste in two months.
During a visit in January 2021, officials found not only the waste cleared, but staff deployed to prevent further dumping and warning notices issued to residents who polluted the lake, said the committee’s report.
As a long-term measure, the panchayat implemented 100% door-to-door collection of municipal waste and the lake was fenced off, the report said. The panchayat has also proposed to clean the bushes and strengthen the lake bunds with the help of
Environmentalist Foundation of India
(EFI) at an estimated Rs 32.37 lakh.
After admitting these findings, the NGT in subsequent hearings also told the panel to study water quality and take steps to clear encroachments. In response, TNPCB collected samples from the lake and confirmed that the chemical and bacterial levels had not exceeded prescribed standards.
As far as encroachments were concerned, notices were issued to 562 houses and the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has demarcated encroachments so that they can evicted soon.
When these follow-up measures were presented before the tribunal during the March 9 hearing, the NGT directed authorities to implement the promised measures within the deadline mentioned and disposed of the case.