Tambaram seeks 1,241 cr for UG sewage project
Chennai: Nearly eight months after the Madambakkam lake was found contaminated with faecal matter, Tambaram corporation informed the
(NGT) that it needs 1,241.32 crore from the Tamil Nadu govt to begin constructing underground sewerage lines for Zone 5 colonies.
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The project is yet to be approved, and even if financial sanction is granted, it will take at least two more years to complete — a timeline that has angered residents who still depend on the polluted lake for drinking water.
In its June 3 order, the NGT questioned the absence of interim measures and directed the corporation to file a report explaining how sewage outfalls into the lake have been plugged. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), whose 2024 lab report found high levels of faecal and total coliform in the lake, was ordered to inspect all surrounding buildings and initiate action against any fresh contamination.
The Board earlier served a showcause notice after repeated violations and inaction.
NGT also sought clarity on the layout of a private project near the lake, where the state water resources department (WRD) has now suggested a peripheral drain with a 3-metre setback to allow the lake's foreshore runoff to pass through safely. The developer was directed to submit a detailed drainage map showing how this water will be diverted back into the lake.
The Tribunal noted that the layout is not inside the lake but hydraulically connected to it, making the proposed micro-drain of at least 1.80m x 1.90m essential.
While Tambaram e corporation cited a pending detailed project report, the NGT observed that no updates were received on earlier directions, including one from January 2025 to submit building permits and environmental clearance details for the same site.
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The collector was also asked to verify whether the Madambakkam lake features in the National Wetland Atlas — a detail critical to determining protection under wetland rules.
With no water treatment plant in place and residents still dependent on overhead tank chlorination, the NGT has warned of stricter action if further delays persist.
The matter has been posted for final hearing to July 3. Instead of waiting for the 1,241 crore, the govt should clear the 14.5 crore proposal for intercepting and diverting sewage outfalls around Madambakkam lake through peripheral channels, along with the 3.5 MLD sewage treatment plant — a plan submitted by Tambaram corporation nearly seven months ago, said Dayanand Krishnan, a resident-activist from Tambaram.
The 4.6 crore proposal for a water treatment plant should also be prioritised, he added.
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