Poonamallee, a suburb of Chennai, derives its name from “பூவிருந்தவல்லி”, meaning “the place where jasmine is cultivated”. This town has a rich cultural heritage and is also one among the fast-growing areas in the city.

Located in the center of three main districts- Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram- is the Poonamallee Lake. This large water body sprawls around 128 acres and is located on Vandalur – Red Hill Highway road. The lake shares the stakeholders of five different villages namely- Varadharajapuram, Parivakkam, Pidarithangal, Ariyamanallur and Thookunampattu. The local community and livestock are directly dependent on the lake as a viable water source.

The Poonamallee Lake has 5 sources of inlet towards its west. Acting as a water catchment area, the lake collects surface and rainwater runoff from nearby agricultural fields. However, due to a lack of definitive boundary, the lake was prone to residential, agricultural and educational institution encroachments along its inlets. Other problems include the dumping of garbage, growth of invasive species, decreased storage capacity due to siltation and uneven land surface. To mitigate the above problems, E.F.I took on the task of restoring the Poonamallee Lake and bringing it back to its former state.

The following activities were carried out during the restoration process:

The below pictures speak for the continuous efforts that have been made in the Poonamallee Lake.

After E.F.I’s intervention, the Poonamallee Lake has been transformed into a blue gem that reflects the wide expanse of the sky in its clear blue waters. Today, the lake is a thriving aquatic ecosystem with an increased storage capacity, resilience, enhanced offshore and foreshore bund, nesting islands and recharge pit and more. The lake has truly become a safe haven that attracts a wide range of organisms and supports agricultural fields.

Stay tuned in this space as we unfold more lake stories from your neighborhood.

Volunteer for India and her Environment with E.F.I