CHENNAI: After he National Green Tribunal (NGT) Southern Zone directed Chief Secretary K Shanmugam to form a committee and formulate an action plan to clean up Korattur lake within six months, it is learnt that Chennai Metro Water has been asked to come out with an action plan to control the illegal discharge of sewage into the Ambattur surplus canal and the Koratur lake.
This comes in the wake of Shanmugham chairing a joint committee after the National Green Tribunal in its order, asked the State to submit an interim report after inspection of the lake, before February 24.
The case was originally filed by Korattur People’s Welfare & Awareness Trust, in 2016. It is learnt that during the meeting, Chennai Metro Water was directed to follow proper mechanism for collection, transport treatment and disposal of sewage at MKB Colony, Sivananda colony and Teacher’s colony around Ambattur lake surplus canals, Karukku, Gnanamurthy, DTP Colony, Poompuhar nagar, Mangalapuram and Ramapuram around north phase of railway track, Pattravakkam, Kajanapuram and Edatheru in northern phase of Ambattur Estate and Mannurpet, Athipattu and Periyar colony in southern phase of Ambattur Estate.
The lake, which was initially a primary drinking water source to more than 18,000 houses in the area, has shrunk to half its size due to encroachments in the last three decades. This also comes after the government has sanctioned `20 crore for renovating and rehabilitating Korattur, Ambattur and Madhavaram lakes.