Chennai Corporation to take up ₹145 crore project to improve Narayanapuram Lake

As the northeast monsoon nears, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set in motion a ₹144.69-crore project to redevelop Narayanapuram Lake in Perungudi to strengthen the bund and provide for public access around the waterbody.

The planned work includes raising a toe wall or low retaining wall along the bund, stone pitching, where large stones are interlocked to protect the slopes and bunds from erosion, and reinforced embankments. Another retaining wall with handrails lining the edges, while a walking pathway paved with blocks will circle the lake. Gates, entrance plazas and lighting poles are also part of the design.

Tree planting and including greenery such as Vetiver grass, known for its soil-binding roots, will also be done on the stretches of the bund, while dense plantations and hedges are planned along the roadsides. The layout also proposes habitat islands within the lake, creating pockets of greenery amid the water, officials said.

Pathways connecting Pallavaram – Thoraipakkam Radial Road, Sunnambu Kolathur Main Road and Erikkarai Salai, offer walkable spaces, where today there are only eroded bunds and broken edges. The work is scheduled to be completed within six months of handover, officials added.

When finished, Narayanapuram Lake will carry both the weight of monsoon inflows and the footsteps of residents seeking an evening walk, bringing utility and access together in one space, a civic official said.

In December 2023, Narayanapuram Lake overflowed and submerged surrounding areas for about 36 hours, inundating homes, cutting off power, and washing away vehicles.