Encroachments on Chennai lakes often begin with the construction of religious structures, such as temples. Unless citizens take collective action, such encroachments are likely to persist. This is a key lesson from the citizen-led initiative by the Federation of Sunnambu Kulathur Residents Welfare Association to protect Narayanapuram Lake.
For years, Narayanapuram Lake has faced encroachments, with four temples and a church gradually expanding into its area. Each monsoon, floodwaters engulfed the residential areas around the lake, sparing neither homes nor the religious structures. The local residents rallied together; they engaged with elected representatives, used social media to raise awareness, and eventually succeeded in removing these encroachments and reclaiming the lake.
In contrast, the upstream Keezhkattalai Lake paints a much bleaker picture, with limited community engagement and involvement.
Both lakes have much in common — the 200-feet wide Thoraipakkam–Pallavaram Radial Road in Chennai cuts through Narayanapuram and Keezhkattalai Lakes, effectively dividing each into two halves. Moreover, they are both downstream of lakes within the Pallikaranai watershed and play a vital role in flood mitigation. However, the limited capacity of the excess water canals, combined with common issues such as garbage dumping and sewage inflow, worsens inundation issues.
As part of the series on lakes in Chennai’s Pallikaranai watershed, we explore the issues in Keezhkattalai and Narayanapuram lakes.
Read more: Reviving Sembakkam Lake: A battle against sewage, encroachments and government neglect
Encroachments obstruct restoration at Chennai’s Keezhkattalai Lake
Water from the Pachamalai and Thiruneermalai hillocks, as well as from Veeraraghavan Lake, flows into Pallavaram Periya Eri. Excess water from this lake then drains into Putheri and subsequently into Keezhkattalai Lake. In addition, runoff from Nanmangalam also flows into Keezhkattalai Lake, which spans approximately 16.77 hectares.
The Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) has been working to clean and restore Keezhkattalai Lake since 2012. In 2023, EFI received formal approval from the Tambaram Commissioner and the Chengalpattu District Collector to commence restoration work. Despite this, they continue to encounter opposition from encroachers.
“Encroachments at Keezhkattalai Lake include unauthorised plots and mechanic sheds. While most were removed earlier, a few remain and continue to obstruct restoration efforts,” says David Manohar of non-governmental organisation Arappor Iyakkam.
The jurisdictional division of the lake between the Chennai City Police and Tambaram Police complicates matters. “Due to jurisdiction issues, neither of them comes forward to give police protection for EFI to finish the work,” David notes. He suggests that the police provide protection to the NGO to carry out desilting work for 20 days, from 9 pm to 5 pm.
We reached out to the officials from the Water Resource Department (WRD) to get their comments on these issues. However, they did not respond to questions.
Read more: Pollution and indiscriminate development threaten Madambakkam Lake’s survival
When canals cannot cope
During the rainy season, flooding intensifies as excess water from Keezhkattalai Lake flows into Narayanapuram Lake via the Keezhkattalai excess water canal. Until 2017, the Keezhkattalai excess water canal had only one pathway for the water to drain into Pallikaranai Marshland. Consequently, when this canal overflowed, the surplus water spilt into Narayanapuram Lake, inundating nearby residential areas.
After 2017, WRD allocated funds to convert the canal into three large stormwater drains. This helps drain rainwater faster. “However, even these drains are now proving inadequate, as excess water from nearly 16 upstream lakes is funnelling through them. This causes frequent flooding, especially since the lake is only 12 feet above mean sea level,” explains J Shankar of the Federation of Sunnambu Kulathur Residents Welfare Association. A fourth stormwater drain, valued at ₹45 crore, is currently under construction.
To mitigate flooding, residents are urging the government to reduce lake water levels before the onset of the monsoon, akin to the practices followed at Chembarambakkam Lake. “The government has recently installed shutters to control lake levels there,” says Shankar.
As part of its broader initiative to restore the Pallikaranai wetland and mitigate flood risks, the State government has decided to dismantle a 2.1 km stretch of the four-lane Thoraipakkam–Pallavaram Radial Road from Thoraipakkam to the Kamatchi Hospital junction. This section has long obstructed natural water flow.
Highlighting the problem, Shankar notes that this stretch of the Radial Road was submerged during the floods of 2015, 2021, and 2023. He emphasises the need to extend the high-level bridge until the lake’s end to ensure unobstructed water flow and allow vehicular movement even during floods.
Radial Road: Infrastructure that divides and drowns
The construction of the Radial Road atop the lake has had a detrimental impact on the surrounding area. “The Highways Department, which constructed the road, was directed by the Chengalpattu District Collectorate to build a retaining wall for Keezhkattalai Lake. However, this has not been executed. Due to the weight of heavy vehicles, the road continues to subside,” says David.
Out of a 3 km stretch, only 1.2 km of the retaining wall has been built under Phase 1 at a cost of ₹17 crore. Work on the remaining 1.8 km section is yet to commence, according to Shankar.
From petitions to protests: Lessons from residents of Chennai’s Narayanapuram Lake
The Federation has successfully mobilised approximately ₹120 crore from the previous AIADMK government and ₹105 crore from the current DMK government to implement critical works such as stormwater drains, shutter installations, and retaining walls.
Narayanapuram Lake also faced encroachments. The Federation filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the Madras High Court, which is currently ongoing. Shankar notes that when citizens initiate legal proceedings, officials are often empowered to act more decisively to remove encroachments. “People are willing to support a cause when someone steps forward to lead. Since 2017, we have built community support at every level. For example, our advocate took up the High Court case pro bono, and other expenses are covered through subscriptions from member RWAs,” he explains.
While petitions may not always prompt government action, legal intervention is not the only solution. Shankar emphasises that consistent engagement with authorities is essential. “We engaged with our local representatives, which helped us remove religious structures. We also used social media effectively to gain public backing, which led to removing a church encroachment. At times, we also resorted to public protests to press our demands,” he adds.
Recommendations from residents to prevent floods
- Divert excess water from Nanmangalam to Medavakkam to reduce inflow into Keezhkattalai Lake
- Reduce water levels in the lakes before the monsoon
- Complete the remaining 1.8 km stretch of the retaining wall
- Provide police protection to enable EFI to complete restoration works at Keezhkattalai Lake
The officials have to deepen the canal atleast 4 to 5 ft will reduce the flood levels in the near by residential area’s.