Fearing flooding, locals stop housing project near Madambakkam lake

CHENNAI: Wary of flood risks during the monsoon season, the residents of Madambakkam decided to take matters into their own hands and managed to put a halt to an alleged unauthorised real estate project close to the Madambakkam lake.

A real estate firm dumped earth into the water body to raise the land for a layout project, alleged Raju of 'Save Madambakkam Lake Committee,’ warning that the project would cause inundation in the northern side of the Madambakkam lake and pose a serious flood threat to Madambakkam residents. He also pointed out that “no mitigation measures have been considered by the concerned departments like the WRD (Water Resources Department) and the CMDA (Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority).”

Although the realtor had raised the land after receiving a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the WRD, the residents pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019, bar construction within a 15-metre radius of a water body. Moreover, environmental clearance is required for projects exceeding 20,000 sqm while the said real estate project is estimated at around 58,000 sqm. Also, no planning permission was obtained from the CMDA, the residents flagged.

Irked by these violations, about 1,610 residents of Madambakkam area, which falls under Wards 69 and 70 of the Tambaram Corporation, submitted petitions to CMDA, WRD, Tambaram Corporation, Forest Department, Wetland Authority, Pollution Control Board, District Collector and Revenue Department officials. In their letters, they have sought for extension of the streets up to the lake, to ensure smooth flow of the surface runoff from the northern side of the lake. They have also requested to ensure that no construction activity is undertaken within the specified buffer zone.

In response to the petitions, revenue department officials inspected the lake area and stopped the work, following which, on Wednesday, Tambaram Corporation Commissioner S Balachander and other officials visited the lake and informed the public that the civic body had issued a stop-work notice to the real estate firm.

Meanwhile, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is hearing a case pertaining to pollution in the Madambakkam lake, has taken up the matter after the residents petitioned the Tribunal. During a hearing in January, the NGT had directed the CMDA to provide details on whether the project was approved and instructed the WRD to submit details about the boundary of the lake, any encroachments, and action taken to evict the encroachments.