WRD invites bids to desilt Madhavaram Retteri lake
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has invited bids to desilt Madhavaram Retteri Lake and thereby increase its capacity from 32mcft to 45.13 mcft, at a cost of Rs 43.19 crore.
Published: 09th August 2023 08:16 AM | Last Updated: 09th August 2023 08:16 AM | A+A A-
Retteri lake | Express
CHENNAI: The Water Resources Department (WRD) has invited bids to desilt Madhavaram Retteri Lake and thereby increase its capacity from 32mcft to 45.13 mcft, at a cost of Rs 43.19 crore. “Over seven lakh cubic metres of silt will be removed from the lake. We also plan to create three islands in the middle of the lake to provide a sanctuary for birds,” a WRD official said.
”To augment the city’s drinking water storage capacity, Chennai River Restoration Trust has decided to renovate 10 lakes - Retteri, Perumbakkam, Mudichur, Chembakkam, Velachery, Adambakkam, Ayanappakkam, Kolathur, Porur and Puzhal, at a cost of `100 crore. As part of it, WRD has initiated the work for Retteri lake now,” a senior official told TNIE.
The tender process is likely to be finalized in a few days and the work will begin by the end of the month and be completed within 18 months. Steps also have been taken to clear encroachments in the vicinity of the lake. Although the lake is not usually used for drinking water supply, it was used for the purpose during the 2019 drought.
In a bid to curb waste dumping in the area, WRD intends to construct a compound wall around the lake, the official added. The six reservoirs - Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills (Puzhal Lake), Chembrambakkam, Veeranam, and Thervoy Kandigai - with a combined capacity of 13.213 Tmcft, have been catering to the city’s drinking water and industrial needs when Chennai’s annual demand is actually 22 Tmcft.
The state government predicts that with the projected population growth, the annual demand could gradually rise to 32 Tmcft in the next 5-10 years.
