Chennai: NGT hits brakes on amusement park at Villivakkam lake – Times of India

CHENNAI: A restaurant on an island in the middle of the Villivakkam lake, a suspended bridge, boating, bowling alleys and an amphitheatre. That dream the city corporation sold us a few months ago has now been stalled by the National Green Tribunal that heard an NGO that argued the proposed amusement park would be a nightmare for the environment.
On a petition filed by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam in 2016, judicial member Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati of the southern bench of NGT asked the civic agencies to not reduce the water storing area with constructions, and to ensure the water body is restored to its original capacity.
“If the construction of an amusement park and tertiary ultra-filtration plant is being done inside the lake’s buffer zone or water tank area, the purpose of the restoration of the waterbody to its original position will be defeated. Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) are directed to avoid such constructions or otherwise they can expect consequential orders of removing the constructions from the area to protect the waterbody,” the tribunal said.
The corporation has set up suspension bridges for zip line activity and has given contracts for setting up the proposed facilities like amphitheatre, restaurant and bowling alleys as part of the 45-crore project.
The lake area is about 39 acres, of which 27.5 acres is held by the city corporation and 11.5 acres by Metrowater. The tribunal said a violation of the order will only end in a loss to the exchequer. Metrowater, which planned a sewage treatment plant at the lake, has been asked to shift it to another place.
The tribunal, which has been getting responses from zone-level officials, has now asked the corporation commissioner and the Metrowater managing director to file their response. “MD of CMWSSB and Commissioner of GCC are directed to file an affidavit as they may know the ground reality before the reports are submitted to the tribunal and consequences of adverse orders,” the tribunal said.
Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan in his petition had said the Villivakkam lake has shrunk from 214 acres to 39 acres.
“These 39 acres must be fully restored. Metro rail construction sand was dumped here and the lake’s entry was blocked. Because of this, residents suffered during the 2015 flooding,” he said.
The tribunal’s order dated January 7 was made available on its website on Wednesday.