450 encroachers evicted in a year

“The ongoing works will be completed in a few weeks, before the onset of monsoon. The work had started soon after the 2015 floods which breached the shores of waterbodies in Kancheepuram. The encroachers were evicted after giving a show cause notice for 21 days, and in a few instances we waited for a long period to remove them,” an official said. 

The widening works were periodically reviewed by the Commissioner of Food Safety and Administration, P Amudha, who monitors the Project Circle, Vellore, Palar Basin Circle and Tank Modernisation Circle in Chennai. 

During the devastating floods, the overflowing water from the Mudichur Main Road reached Tambaram, Wallajah Road after breaching the lakes in Mannivakkam and Padappai. 

The surplus flow of water from the lakes in Vandalur, Mannivakkam and Manimangalam reached the Adyar River canal near Mannivakkam. In turn, the water will be fed into the surplus canal in Tiruneermalai. 

Another surplus channel from Chembarabambakkam is fed at Tiruneermalai, which is diverted into Anakaputhur, Manapakkam, Ramapuram and Kotturpuram, to reach the Bay of Bengal.

Last year, the strengthening of bunds was undertaken along the lake at an estimated cost of Rs 9 lakh.