CHENNAI: As many as 57 more water bodies in the city are set to be rejuvenated and beautified as part of the third phase of the smart city mission. The Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company Limited is set to prepare a detailed project report for the proposal, passed by the smart city board recently.

Most of the water bodies selected by TWIC are from Manali and Madhavaram, areas flooded during the 2015 deluge. Some of the lakes taken up for restoration include Gangai Amman Koil Street pond in Vadapalani, Silanthi Kuttai, Anna Nedunsalai, Periya Eri near Bhavani Amman Koil, Naickkar Kuttai, Nadar Street, Jaganathapuram, Pillaiyar Koil Kulam in Tambaram-Velachery Main Road.

The lakes will be desilted to a dept of 1-1.5m and beautified. About Rs 7.61 crore has been allotted from the smart city funds for restoring 11 of the 57 water bodies. Once DPR is prepared, work will begin on the remaining ones.

“TWIC will study these lakes and prepare a report about various repair work and projects that can be taken up. We have been setting up parks, walkways and building compound walls for several lakes based on the availability of space,” said B R Saravanamoorthy, executive engineer of storm water drain department.

At present, work on 104 lakes is in progress. Of them, the corporation had handed over 40 water bodies to corporates and non-profit organisations for desilting and creating bunds. Work on 53 lakes, including the Villivakkam lake, is in progress using smart city funds at Rs 18.2 crore.

The corporation had planned to rejuvenate and beautify 210 water bodies in the city after the 2015 floods. This would increase the combined water holding capacity of the lakes by 12,000 million litres and also ensure they recharge the groundwater table. Clean-up of lakes and plugging of all the sewage inlet points will also be taken up as part of the project which is to begin soon. Rejuvenation of five other lakes was completed in 2016.Read More..