PERAMBALUR: Calling attention to Ooryeri, a 100-acre lake and its sluices in Olaipadi village in the district being encroached by Seemai Karuvelam trees, waste and sewage, residents have called upon the district administration to immediately intervene and renovate the area. The lake, located in Veppur block, has three sluices and receives water from the fields nearby.
The lake, besides being used for irrigating hundreds of acres of land in the village, also meets the water needs of the villagers, barring that of drinking water. Poor maintenance over the past few years has resulted in the lake and its banks being encroached upon by Seemai Karuvelam trees, an invasive species, affecting the water supply to the lake.
The sluices have also become non-functional. Residents also raised the issue of people throwing garbage and sewage from nearby canals being discharged into the lake. Despite taking the issue to the Olaipadi panchayat and the district collector's office, no action was taken.
Speaking to TNIE, advocate and resident of Olaipadi T Anbumani said, "This lake is encroached not only by Seemai Karuvelam trees but also by farmers. The drop in water supply has caused farmers to switch to maize and cotton cultivation, and this has affected agriculture. Last year we got some water, thanks to some heavy rain, but people continue to dump waste, and the resulting waste and sewage ends up polluting the lake, so the water becomes unusable anyway. Not once have the authorities come forward to renovate this." M Pazhanivel, another resident, said, "As the sluice was non-functional, the water could not be stored. During the rainy season, the water flows outside. A year ago, the authorities took this lake under Kudimarathu's works. But no proper work is done here. So the district administration should intervene and take steps to remove encroachments."
Pazhanivel called for the need to deepen and strengthen the lake by removing Seemai trees, repair non-functioning sluices and create awareness about it among people. When contacted, an official from Rural Department in Veppur said, "We will look into this issue."