A new park is being built on the bank of Puzhal Lake in Chennai, but locals say it could jeopardise the lake’s embankment and put nearby homes at flood risk.
Puzhal Lake lies in the Tiruvallur district and supplies a big share of Chennai’s drinking water. When it fills, excess water is released through two sluice gates that open into a roughly 11‑km canal, sending the water downstream toward the Bay of Bengal near Sadayankuppam. Because the lake sits on low‑lying ground, flooding is already a frequent problem in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Despite these conditions, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) started construction of an 8.17‑acre public park as part of the North Chennai Development Scheme. The project is estimated to cost about ₹16.96 crore. Construction crews have already installed more than 60 concrete pillars along the Chemmanal bank, opposite Jones Tower. Residents and local activists worry that these heavy structures so close to the reservoir’s edge could weaken the embankment. Their concerns have some precedent: in 2023 a small weakness in the bund caused visible seepage, leading to a temporary concrete barrier being built a few metres from the earth wall.
Locals explain that when the lake is full, seepage through the lake’s red‑soil layers naturally slows water flow, reducing wave action and preventing erosion. They fear the new pillars will disturb this natural protection. Many low‑lying households are anxious that further embankment damage could make thousands of residents vulnerable to future floods. Some have suggested moving the park to vacant land across the lake near a temporary bus stand, arguing that building within 200 metres of the lake is “alarming.”
A senior officer from the Chennai Regional Water Resources Department said that any construction in a water‑logged zone must be cleared with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department. The officer notes that CMDA officials expect to secure the NOC after the work is finished. Earlier plans had called for building the park near the sluice gates, close to existing concrete protection walls, but that proposal was rejected and the current site at Chemmanal was chosen.
Right now there appears to be no practical way to stop the work, the officer said. The situation has raised serious concerns about environmental stability, public safety, and the long‑term security of Chennai’s water infrastructure.
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