Velachery Residents Raise Alarm Over Increased Flood Risk Due to Land Reclamation

Residents in Velachery, Chennai, are voicing concerns over a rising flood risk due to land reclamation activities at the Kallukuttai lake. The Public Works Department (PWD) has been filling the lake with soil, which is part of the Ramsar Site of the Pallikaranai marshland, raising alarms among locals. On social media, residents have criticized the delay in halting the work by government departments, including the PWD and the Greater Chennai Corporation. S. Kumararaja, a resident, highlighted that over 25 acres of the waterbody have been affected, potentially increasing flood risk in Velachery. The reclamation is reportedly for the Dr. Ambedkar Law University, located on the road connecting Taramani MRTS road with Velachery MRTS station.

The situation has prompted the Velachery Annai Indira Nagar Welfare Association and the Federation of Velachery Welfare and Green Velachery to demand that the State government stop the work. N. Mathavan, a disaster management expert, warned that the work could lead to flooding in Velachery if not ceased. The Greater Chennai Corporation has indicated readiness to restore the area to a proper waterbody, contingent on receiving permission from the Directorate of Technical Education, which owns the land. The issue underscores the tension between development projects and environmental preservation in flood-prone areas.