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May 04, 2024 12:46 am | Updated 10:15 pm IST – CHENNAI
Spread over 349 hectares, the Thiruninravur lake is one of the largest waterbodies in the city’s western suburbs. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
With the demand for freshwater sources on the rise, the Water Resources Department has proposed to make the Thiruninravur lake near Avadi a drinking water source for the Avadi Corporation, as well as Chennai.
Spread over 349 hectares, the Thiruninravur lake is one of the largest waterbodies in the city’s western suburbs, and has faced challenges of sewage pollution and encroachments. It has also remained silted up for years.
In the past, efforts had been made to tap into local freshwater sources, including Porur, Retteri, Nemam and Ayanambakkam, to tackle the growing water needs of the city. In a bid to mitigate floods and augment the storage capacity of the Thiruninravur lake, the Department has submitted a project worth ₹100 crore to the State government for scrutiny and financial assistance.
Officials of the WRD said that the lake’s storage capacity would be increased to 500 million cubic feet (mcft) from 150 mcft. “We will make the water spread area, which is in a conical shape, cylindrical by desilting. The lake is silted up to a depth of 1.50 m. There are plans to plug sewage outfalls and clear encroachments,” an official said.
The project, which is based on a revenue model, aims at removing 30 lakh cubic metre of coarse soil (savudu) from the lake and earn a revenue of about ₹36 crore. Residents recalled that several low-lying areas such as Periyar Nagar and Muthamizh Nagar around Thiruninravur were the worst-affected during floods.
Officials noted that the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board had allotted houses in Muthamizh Nagar, Kannikapuram and Periyar Nagar in the lake’s foreshore area. When the lake reached its full capacity, these places had been submerged.
Besides strengthening the 4.8-km-long tank and foreshore bunds, the Department has proposed to construct shutters and improve the channels to prevent waterlogging.
At present, the Avadi Municipal Corporation gets a bulk supply from Chennai Metrowater and relies on groundwater sources for its drinking water needs. The Thiruninravur lake would be improved as a permanent drinking water source for Avadi and the neighbouring local bodies. “We also plan to divert surplus water from the Poondi reservoir to the Thiruninravur lake through the Poondi-Chembarambakkam Link canal. This will build storage, and a portion of the stored water can be supplied to Chennai,” the official said.
Once rejuvenated, the lake will also serve as a groundwater recharge source to many localities.
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