A LAKE RESTORED INTO AN ECO PARK

Adi perukku is the right day to talk about water resources and its maintenance for the benefit of the human life. This festival is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi. coincides with the annual freshes of the rivers and to pay tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. It is celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells etc. of Tamil Nadu when the water level in the rivers rise significantly heralding the onset of Monsoon. People living on the banks of the river beds and other important water generation sources offer pujas to the water goddess and river god.

 Water resources are precious for the survival and well-being of all life forms on planet Earth. Different water resources present on the earth’s surface include oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds etc. For common people, lakes are an integral part of life as it is one of the sources of drinking water. The water from lakes and reservoirs are first treated and supplied to homes.

As a step towards sustainable living , In Chennai a lake restoration project was taken and completed successfully. Few details about it :

Chetpet Eco Park, which as the name suggests, is an ecologically-themed park, spread across the banks of the lake. Created and maintained by the Fisheries Department. A couple of years ago the lake, like most water bodies in the city,  this lake was a scummy algae-laden one topped with garbage, debris and the other dirty stuff. It was completely an unhealthy place dumped with sewage.

 It is then restored as  Chetpet Eco park which has become one of the recent tourist spots in Chennai city that is situated on the Chetpet Lake shore. With  the restoration work of safe guarding the water sources  At the Chetpet Lake, a biological sewage treatment plant ensures the removal of pollutants and treated water is pumped into the lake, which boosts aquatic life. The lake uses treated sewage water for sport fishing and boating.

In this waste water treatment facility and storm water management play a vital role in the restoration process. The modular sewage treatment plants were based on the moving bed biofilm reactor technology as it occupies less space and cost -effective too. and the plant at Chetpet has the capacity to treat one million litres of sewage daily.

A portion of the recycled waste water would be used for watering plants maintained by the Greater Chennai Corporation. The remaining would be released into the river to facilitate its flow. 

This lake has gained  the distinction of being the first water body to use recycled sewage water for boat rides and angling. boat rides on a six-acre pond and another 3 acres for sport  fishing. Apart from rain water from the Chennai Corporation’ s storm water drains, the park also received sewage from metro water sewer line which is treated at the STP.

That's how Chennai is trying its best to restore its water resources. This is just an example. when you make  a trip to Chennai, do plan  a boat ride at Chetpet Eco park.

(This blogpost is a part of blogchatter's Cause A Chatter)