THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of efforts to rejuvenate Vellayani lake and restore it its to original glory, the state government has allocated Rs 96.5 cr. Administrative sanction for the project has been granted, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said on Tuesday. The money will be utilised for deepening the lake, revitalising its tributaries and developing tourism activities.
The plan includes increasing the depth of the lake by removing silt, which will ensure that the lake will be able to contain more water. Steps will also be taken to prevent sidewalls on either side of the lake from collapsing. A rock wall will be built on the sides of the lake. The lake’s tributaries at Kakkamoola and Vavvamula will be connected.
There are also plans to identify and rejuvenate the 64 main tributaries of Vellayani lake. Apart from this, funds have been set apart to ensure that water in the lake isn’t polluted. Revenue department will take steps to demarcate the boundaries of the lake to prevent further encroachments. There are also plans for developing tourism potential of the lake, which will ensure the rejuvenation of the lake. Both sides of the lake will be beautified with walkways and bicycle tracks.
Arrangements will be made to accommodate 25,000 tourists daily. Parking facilities and other basic facilities will be provided for travellers. Walkways, cycle tracks and viewpoints will be set up. Minister Roshy Augustine also said that the money will be used to develop facilities, including boating and water sports, at the lake. The panchayats and a group of NGOs have been actively participating in efforts to clean up the lake. “The major challenge for the lake is weeds and the pollution.
We welcome the government initiative. For a long time, a lot of NGOs and villagers have been involved in the rejuvenation activities of the lake. With the government’s involvement we hope that the lake will be restored,” said R S Sreekumar, president of Venganoor gramapanchayat. The NGOs, which are part of the mission to rejuvenate the lake, have said that the main issue affecting the lake is that of the weeds and that deweeding must be carried out to ensure the lake’s revival.
Abey George, general secretary of Swasthi Foundation NGO, which has been carrying out studies in the lake, said that de-weeding and preventing encroachment was the only way to protect the lake. “Continuous de-weeding has to be carried out in the lake. And this can be ensured by roping in local villagers. Raising awareness about the need to protect the lake among the villagers has gone a long way in protecting the lake. Now, villagers are involved in the de-weeding activities,” said Abey.
He also reiterated the need to ensure that the lake doesn’t get encroached anymore. “Vellayani can easily be a tourist spot. We have already lost a major part of the lake to encroachments. No more encroachments should be allowed to happen, “ he said. The NGO recently completed a year-long study on biodiversity of the lake and is set to submit a report to the government in a week. The need to ensure mechanised de-weeding and protect biodiversity and birds was stressed by NGO Neerthadakam.
The panchayat and a few NGOs, including Neerthadakam, have been carrying out a cleaning drive in the lake for the past week. “Continuous de-weeding has to be carried out. And manual de-weeding will not serve the purpose. Mechanised de-weeding alone can salvage the lake,” said Kiran A J, founder and director of the NGO, which has been carrying out cleaning drives and studying the lake.
Plans ahead
Steps will be taken to prevent sidewalls on either side of the lake from collapsing. A rock wall will be built on the sides of the lake. The lake’s tributaries at Kakkamoola and Vavvamula will be connected.