Lakshmipathi, a small-scale dairy farmer, has lived in Madambakkam for over 25 years. “Madambakkam’s name originates from cows, but the common grazing grounds around the lake have disappeared over time. Now, if we let the cattle roam the streets, corporation officials will impound them. It costs us ₹2,600 every time we retrieve them,” he says.
Cattle rearing is a vital livelihood for many in Madambakkam. “The area is home to around 3,000 cattle. The Madambakkam Lake and its surrounding land have historically served as crucial grazing grounds. But with rapid urbanisation, these spaces are disappearing, leaving nowhere for the cattle,” says K Raju, an environmental researcher, highlighting the lake’s significance to the local community.
It is one of the 10 lakes selected by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) for the Lake Rejuvenation project. In Part 2 of the series on the pollution of water bodies in Chennai, we examine the issues in Madambakkam Lake and the community’s efforts to save it from deterioration. Citizen Matters has earlier reported on the problems in Sembakkam Lake.
Being rain-fed, Madambakkam Lake receives water from Thiruvanchery Lake during the monsoons, which, in turn, depends on Selaiyur Lake. However, urban development has disrupted the link between the Selaiyur and Thiruvanchery lakes, leaving Thiruvanchery Lake dependent on the rain. Excess water from Thiruvanchery then flows into Madambakkam Lake.
Read more: Reviving Sembakkam Lake: A battle against sewage, encroachments and government neglect
Water contamination in Madambakkam Lake
Like many other water bodies in the city, Madambakkam Lake faces the issue of raw sewage contamination due to the absence of an underground drainage system in the locality. While priority was initially given to stormwater drains, the lack of public awareness and government efforts has resulted in these drains being misused as sewage channels.
Despite this issue, the lake was the main source of drinking water for Chitlapakkam and Madambakkam residents until recently. As part of the Joint Drinking Water Scheme, five wells were dug to supply 18 lakh litres of water to Chitlapakkam residents and 2 lakh litres to Madambakkam residents daily.
“Both areas have nearly the same population, but the water distribution was not proportional. When we took the matter to the Madras High Court, the court ordered that when Madambakkam residents have insufficient water, they can give a letter to the local government, and the water extraction should be stopped. Or the government could do it on its own,” says A Krishnan from the Save Madambakkam Lake Committee (SMLC), who has lived in the locality since 1987.
Shortly after the scheme began, underground water levels in Madambakkam dropped, prompting the government to spend ₹1 crore on 50 new borewells, a solution Krishnan deems illogical.
Action by NGT
In 2023, the National Green Tribunal took suo motu action following reports of water contamination in Madambakkam Lake. Samples from 11 locations revealed the presence of fecal coliform bacteria, with levels exceeding the standards set by the Central Pollution Control Board. Consequently, the water supply project was halted.
Real estate expansion poses environmental threats
Beyond contamination, Madambakkam Lake faces the growing threat of real estate development. The involvement of the National Green Tribunal revealed that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) seemed to have given layout approval for house sites on over 56,000 square metres of land (Survey Numbers 723/1, 2, 3, 768 and 769/1) near the lake.
The ongoing real estate development on the northern side of the lake, including the construction of compound walls for a proposed gated community, obstructs the natural flow of surface runoff into the lake. “This disruption will severely hinder stormwater drainage from the northern area. As a result, the reduced flow of runoff will likely cause water to pool and stagnate in the surrounding residential areas. This could cause flooding, impacting at least 2,000 families,” note Krishnan and other members of SMLC.
This expansion work has also cut off public access to the northern side of Madambakkam Lake. “The locals are unable to perform cultural/religious activities as they do not have access to the lake,” Krishnan adds.
Despite acknowledging that the site had previously been inundated by floods of up to 2–3 feet as it is on the Maximum Flood Level (MFL) area, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the site. The WRD recommended raising the site level to 1.58 metres to prevent inundation. “This will abruptly stop surface runoff and cause severe floods,” say SMLC members.
No proactive action by government
When Citizen Matters enquired about the real estate development, WRD officials said they had inspected the site in question when they received the complaint and found that the site was a private property (patta land) as per revenue records. So, they did not stop the ongoing work.
However, Raju argues that the wetland boundary should not be defined solely by revenue records. “The extent of a wetland goes beyond where water is stored as per Wetland (C & M) Rules, 2017; it includes areas where the soil remains moist. Wetland boundaries must consider this, not just land ownership,” he adds.
Madambakkam Lake is spread across 100 hectares. “However, a 2024 survey of the lake only accounts for 96.87 hectares. The lake should first be resurveyed and the boundaries should be marked accordingly,” Raju explains.
According to the National Disaster Management Guidelines to prevent urban flooding, “no building activity other than recreational use shall be carried out within 50 metres from the boundary of lakes of area 10 hectares and above. It should be maintained as a green buffer zone.”
Citing the 2017 Supreme Court order, Raju adds that the Madambakkam Lake is one of the 2,01,503 wetlands (>2.25 ha) as per the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA), 2011, that is protected as per Rule 4 of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
Even as these issues affect residents, they do not have access to the lake, because of the government’s lakefront development plans. “There has been no public consultation on the proposed rejuvenation or eco-park projects for Madambakkam Lake,” says Krishnan.
So far, over 1,600 residents of Madambakkam have signed a petition urging action and submitted them to various government departments in Chengalpattu and Chennai.
Read more: Lessons from the past must guide the restoration of Chennai’s lakes
What the locals demand
- No construction activity should be carried out in the buffer zones of the lake
- The lake has to be resurveyed and boundaries should be marked accordingly
- Access pathway should be provided to the locals
- Streets should be extend to lake to ensure surface runoff to the lake
- Make plans for safe disposal of sewage water from the area.
As the local community grapples with water contamination, the loss of grazing grounds, and haphazard real estate development, there is an urgent need to preserve the ecosystem of Madambakkam Lake and ensure its survival.
The septic tank waste flowing from the flats has flooded my property with filth. Adjacent to JALVAYU VIHAR, Dr.ABDUL KALAM STREET, K.RUKMANI DEVI NAGAR. EARLIER IT WAS GOING STRAIGHT TO THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE NOW THE BUILDERS HAVE DIVERTED THE SAME TO THE EAST.