Chitlapakkam Lake

Chitlapakkam aeri, or Chitlapakkam lake, is an urban lake located in Chitlapakkam, a suburb of Chennai, India. It is the chief water body in the neighbourhood.The lake currently measures 46.88 acres.HistoryBefore urbanization, Chitlapakkam was an important agricultural area. The water from the lake was then used for irrigation. Pachamalai hill in the neighbourhood served as a source for the lake.Until the 1980s, the waterfront provided recreation. The lake filled water tanks in the nearby areas of Sembakkam and Hasthinapuram. Till the early 1980s, groundwater could be found in the neighbourhood at a depth of just 5 feet. The water level did not fall below 10 feet even at the peak of summer. The area became a residential area chiefly due to the reason that the water was potable. The lake also attracted migratory birds and was a favourite spot for birdwatchers.In 1990, the government planned to use the lake bed for construction of public utilities, namely, a district court, bus terminus and the Tambaram Taluk office. Residential layouts were planned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board on the lake bed. However, the locals resisted these governmental measures by means of a massive campaign to protect the lake and succeeded. The community also urged the Kancheepuram district administration to restore the lake. This resulted in strengthening of the lake bunds and raising their height to 10 feet in 2003. These measures increased the storage capacity of the lake. However, the lack of an underground drainage system in localities around the lake resulted in several gallons of untreated sewage flowing into the lake regularly. According to estimates by the public works department, as much as 175 encroachments have taken over various parts of the lake bed.