Tiruvallur district, a newly formed district bifurcated from the erstwhile Chengalpattu district is located in the northeast part of Tamil Nadu. It is bounded on the north by Andhra Pradesh State, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, on the southeast by Chennai district, on the south by Kanchipuram, and on the west by Vellore district. The coastal region of the district is mostly flat and dreary; but in the other parts, it is undulating and even hilly in some places.

Tiruvallur is a unique combination of heavy rainfall and downstream flow receiving region. This makes the belt an intense water zone. Naturally, the region is blessed with countless water bodies located in suburban areas of the district, putting them under the stress of anthropogenic activities. Activities such as encroachment, uncontrolled growth of invasive weeds, dumping of solid waste, and more have put the lakes and ponds of Tiruvallur at life-threatening risks.

In an effort to combat this situation, E.F.I has been collaborating since 2017 with the Tiruvallur District Administration to restore the water bodies of the district. Currently, 4 mega lakes are being restored in the district namely; Alamathi Lake, Vellanur Periya Eri, Vellanur Citheri, and Pandeshwaram Lake. Take a closer look at the restoration!

Alamathi Lake

• Area: 108 acres
• Interventions so far:
  • Removal of invasive weeds and garbage
  • Excavation of excess silt along the lake’s periphery
  • Construction of nesting islands and recharge wells

Vellanur Periya Eri

• Area: 180 acres
• Interventions so far:
  • Removal of invasive weeds
  • Bund strengthening
  • Construction of percolation trenches

Vellanur Chitheri

• Area: 30 acres
• Interventions so far:
  • Removal of solid waste and invasive weeds
  • Bund strengthening
  • Construction of nesting islands

Pandeswaram Lake

• Area: 194 acres
• Interventions so far:
  • Removal of invasive weeds
  • Desilting
  • Bund strengthening
  • Dual embankment
  • Nesting tree islands

We at E.F.I thank the Tiruvallur Collectorate for supporting us in restoring these mega water bodies! Do stay tuned to E.F.I’s socials for regular updates.

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