Coimbatore : Following a visit to the Chinnavedapatti Lake in an attempt to identify means of rejuvenating the lake, members of the Coimbatore District Administration, as a part of the Jal Shakthi Abhiyan scheme inspected the Aachankulam tank near Neelambur here on Wednesday.
Coimbatore : Following a visit to the Chinnavedapatti Lake in an attempt to identify means of rejuvenating the lake, members of the Coimbatore District Administration, as a part of the Jal Shakthi Abhiyan scheme inspected the Aachankulam tank near Neelambur here on Wednesday.
The team headed by Project Director, Ruban Shankar Raja and accompanied by PWD officials focussed on improving the quality in the lake that attracts a variety of birds and aquatic life.
According to sources, the team had ruled out of the possibilities of desilting the lake as water level is too high. As of now, the idea is to treat the water without draining the lake. However, setting up a water treatment plant may not be possible considering the amount of intake at the lake.
“The lake draws upto one lakh litres of water every day from three inlets. If so much water should be treated, a larger treatment plant is required,” said P.K. Selvaraj, from the Koushika River Rejuvenation Organisation, who was a part of the visiting team.
Treating the water artificially has its own drawbacks and considering the size of the lake, activists also claim that even if the water is treated, handling of waste would be a complex task.
To counter the issues, officials are planning to use natural filters like gabion structures and plants including reed, which could have a healthy impact on the lake.
“Of the three inlets, one of them is filled with reeds. Water that passes through that inlet is very clean. There is no odour, giving a clear indication for future action. If reeds can be successfully planted along with edible canna and vetiver plants, they would act as natural filters and improve the lake quality,” informed an official from the District Administration.
The lake is already sanctioned a project by the State Government to restore the sluice gates. And, once the natural treatment plant works in full swing, the lake that hosts more than 50 local, local migratory and migratory birds would become a haven for avian and aquatic fauna and flora.
Meanwhile, a similar visit was made by Jal Shakthi Abhiyan officials to the Chinnavedapatti Lake recently to check means of rejuvenating the lake. Being the only lake in Coimbatore, Chinnavedapatti has not been able to receive water from the streams, as they dry up.
The Coimbatore District Administration had recently included the lake in the Noyyal Rejuvenation Project, under which ground water is to be recharged in the streams leading to the lake.