Restore Sathangadu lake to original extent of 135 acres, clear encroachment on 65 hectares, TNIC tells govt

Sathangadu Lake is not only the main source of water for several areas in north Chennai, but also serves as a habitat for many species of migratory birds. | Photo credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

The Tamil Nadu Information Commission (TNIC) has urged the state government to drive out encroachments and restore Sathangadu Lake in Tiruvallur district to its original geographical extent of 135 acres from the current 70 acres.

With the revenue department officials admitting in writing that nearly 60 acres of the lake has been encroached upon by various public and private organisations, including Government of India undertakings, State Information Commissioner R. Priyakumar has asked the Tiruvallur Collector to accord top priority to the issue and take strict action in accordance with the law to restore the lake as a whole.

He also asked the Commissioner of Revenue and Disaster Management to directly supervise the encroachment clearance and ensure that measures are taken to protect the lake from future encroachments. The Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Finance Department has been directed to appear before the Commission in person and submit an action taken report on July 30.

The case arose out of a petition filed by S. Anandan of Manali, who said the original extent of the Sathangadu lake, measuring 135 acres, had shrunk to 70 acres due to encroachment over the years. He sought details of the extent of the lake from official records and filed a request under the Right to Information Act 2005.

The petitioner also submitted a report published in The Hindu on March 28, 2008, in which the then Tiruvallur Collector was quoted as stating that the lake is over 135 acres in size. As there was no satisfactory reply from the PIO or the first appellate authority, Mr. Anandan filed an appeal before the TNIC.

When the matter came before Mr. Priyakumar, he directed the Tiruvottiyur Tahsildar to provide information about the extent of the lake as recorded in official documents and details of any encroachment.

He warned that the PIO would be fined a maximum of ₹25,000 and disciplinary proceedings would be initiated if he failed to provide the information sought by the petitioner.

A joint inspection was carried out

In his report, the Tahsildar informed the Commission that a joint inspection along with officials from the Survey Department was conducted in the lake area.

The inspection revealed that two public sector undertakings under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, with offices in Sathangad and two private petrochemical companies, had been encroaching on nearly 10 acres of the water body for over 15 to 20 years. The report further said that the residential area called MGR Nagar, spread over nearly 10 acres, was home to about 200 families. The encroachments also included a temple and public toilets built by the state government.

Expressing grave concern over the encroachment and its impact on the environment and water resources of the locality, Mr. Priyakumar noted that conservation of water bodies is not only the responsibility of the government but also the collective responsibility of the people.

Speaking to The Hind on the subject, Mr. Priyakumar said that the Sathangadu lake was not only the main source of water for several residential and industrial areas in north Chennai, but also served as a habitat for many species of migratory birds.

According to him, the destruction of the water course by uncontrolled interventions would cause irreversible damage to both the environment and industry.

He said his recommendation to the concerned authorities to evict the encroachments and restore the water course was based on GO (Ms.) No. 540 of the Government of Tamil Nadu, which mandated all District Collectors to form remedial committees to remove encroachments on government lands, and also the Tamil Nadu Tank Protection and Eviction Act 07 Act, 2007.

Mr. Priyakumar further said that his order was in line with several judgments of the Supreme Court which have come down hard on the waterways.

Published – 14 Jun 2026 23:05 IST