Pitching in to revive lakes

It's a geometrically-shaped island in the middle of a lake that is a safe haven for nesting birds. Two-feet wide percolation trenches lead into the lake to ensure the aquifers are fed and that water is retained even during drought. Arasankazhani near Semmanchery is a picturesque spot. But not long ago, the water body was unidentifiable. Residents of upcoming villas then decided to get it cleaned up and asked volunteers of Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) for help.
K Niranjana, a volunteer with EFI, said working to restore lakes in this manner was a way to give back to society .“I am extremely happy to do my bit,“ the first year student at M O P Vaishnav College, said.
In Salem, another group of volunteers similarly saved the famous Mookaneri a few years ago. The 58-acre water spread had been an eyesore for several years until a group pitched in to take up a massive initiative with donations running into lakhs. “750 volunteers joined us on day one of our work,“ said Piyush Manush, a core member of the Salem Citizens Forum.
Today, the 45 manmade islands on the lake created out of sludge removed from the water body boasts of 12,000 trees and is a habitat for hundreds of birds. And the same group is now restoring Kumaragiri eri in Ammapet.
With successive monsoons failing, environmentalists say it is increasingly imperative to restore lakes and ponds to help meet the growing needs of the urban popu lation. Call it urbanization, poor drainage or inferior maintenance, water bodies in the state are neither able to hold water nor do they recharge groundwater during the dry season.
Kundrathur, Tirunindravur, Pallavaram, Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam and Perungudi in Chennai are examples of lakes that lack storage capacity. But volunteers have now cleaned up many other water bodies at Narayanayapuram, Kilkattalai, Thazambur, Perumbakkam and Kadaperi, hoping to re-energise the water flow.
Arun Krishnamurthy, founder of EFI, said given the scale of the problem, the state had been approached for support to take up restoration of lakes and ponds in Chennai and Coimbatore. The scientific restoration would have to involve bio-diversification of the lake through reintroduction of flora and fauna.
Coimbatore has reasons to cheer with Selvacinthamani lake, which is within city limits, being restored in this holistic manner with support from Coimbatore Corporation.A community cleaning exercise was organized at the 28-acre site recently, before earth movers and trucks were pressed into service.