Chennai is undoubtedly India’s water capital. A city of three rivers, 100s of lakes, several mid-sized ponds, temple tanks, the linking canals, a mighty marsh and not to miss the big 4 of Poondi-Puzhal-Chembarambakkam-Cholavaram. This water wonder world was in global news infamously for a bone dry drought and multiple sinking floods. A lot of finger pointing, blame game, unwanted opinions and unwarranted advice later, the city and her residents are doing all that they can to re-establish the BlueGreen tag to Chennai.
Ramanthangal Lake is one of the finest examples of reviving-restoring an urban water body. Located in Sholinganallur, this lake had no definitive boundary, it was overgrown with Prosopis juliflora and its proximity to the ocean and the B.Canal meant its underlying earth had to be better understood before it was deepened. This clay loaded marsh pocket would soon become a land of debris and trash.
Ramanthangal in 2010
Ramanthangal in 2015
That is when its cleaning-deepening-restoration commenced.
Today Ramanthangal lake has a defined legal boundary, a protected hydrological boundary, deepened storage area, nesting island and more. It is actually a lot more:
- 10,500 trees in a mixed pattern planted in newly created green belt around the lake
- A nesting island with a diverse fruit orchard for birds
- Solar powered aerator to keep the water in circulation
- Solar powered automated water lines to feed the green cover
- Lake that can hold 24% more water
- A long-jump pit which is also a rainwater harvest trench
- A children’s play area
- A butterfly garden
- A flowering yard
- A lane composter
- A walking track
Ramanthangal today is not a forgotten, lost to urbanization, once there was a lake story. It has become the model that the Greater Chennai Corporation is proudly showcasing to urban planners on how and why one should care like Chennai for their respective lakes. GCC-EFI’s collaboration to restore multiple water bodies within the city is a citizen fed-led movement focused on sustainability. Nature conservation is no choice, no compulsion, its common sense and that idea is strongly promoted from lakes such as these in Chennai.
Ramanthangal Lake Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dihZnA9FdToTKVS69.
Visit, volunteer, its #TogetherTowardsTomorrow for Chennai and her Environment with E.F.I
Not too far from the Ramanthangal lake-ecopark, E.F.I has set up a sponge park for GCC within the 1500 flats TNHB complex.
Two more sponges parks are in the making and expected to be ready in time for the Northeast monsoons of 2025.
A deeper understanding of our neighborhood water body is crucial for our happy and healthy living in our respective home city. Let’s not transform every lake into a recreational hub, let us understand that our cities once where once home to many lives than just us. Harmonious co-existence is very much possible when we can think for the planet as a human in this being.
Let us work-volunteer towards the goal of Whatever to Water Forever.
http://www.indiavolunteer.org for all your volunteering needs.