100 volunteers clean Chitlapakkam lake, collect over 150 bags of trash
Two-plus years after the pandemic, residents of Chitlapakkam have resumed the massive clean-up drives to remove plastic trash from the lakebed and bund.
The drive was organised by the Tambaram Corporation to create awareness among the public, and also request the people to volunteer in the clean-up drive to make the locality litter free zone.
“Through this drive, we make sure the lake is cleaned periodically. Officials at Tambaram Corporation said that this initiative would encourage residents to take a part in the clean-up. This would also encourage residents to stop throwing trash in public places,” explained Sunil Jayaram of Chitlapakkam Rising NGO.
There were around 100 volunteers who collected over 150 bags of trash on Sunday. “We’ve planned to conduct this drive on second and fourth Saturdays of every month. The corporation brings their vehicle to collect the waste,” he added. Residents in Chitlapakkam have been volunteering in the clean-up drive for almost 8 years. Even during the lockdown, they cleaned the waste in the lake and planted saplings around it with a small group of volunteers.
“Our priority is to make the locality litter-free. In the coming weeks, we’ll focus on water bodies, hotspot areas, bus stops, railway stations, and areas near government buildings,” said a senior official at Tambaram Corporation.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) halted the Chitlapakkam lake restoration, as they were waiting for funds from the government. It has completed desilting and bund strengthening, but the allied component works such as gardening and sewage treatment plant are awaiting tenders.