Otteri Lake, spread over 19 acres, was built in 1904 to provide regular water supply to the British soldiers stationed inside the Vellore Fort. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Rejuvenation of Otteri Lake, a British-era man-made facility on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation, helped the watercourse reach its full storage capacity from the 2021 floods on Saturday.
Officials of the Vellore Corporation, which maintains the water body, said regular rain in catchment areas such as Palamathi, Kolavimedu and Naickaneri tribal villages in the Jawadhu Hills in October had gradually raised the water level in the lake.
“Water from the lake is also pumped to meet the water needs of the residents within the civic limits. The full capacity of the lake also helps to recharge the ground water in its vicinity,” said R. Lakshman, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation.
Otteri Lake, spread over 19 acres, was built in 1904 to provide regular water supply to the British soldiers stationed inside the Vellore Fort. Pipelines and overhead tanks (OHT) were built to supply water from the lake to the officers’ quarters inside the spacious fort complex.
The lake has a total storage capacity of 19 MLD (million liters per day). “The lake water is also used to irrigate agricultural land in nearby villages. Residents also drill borewells near the lake to draw water for domestic use,” said farmer K. Raman.
Company officials said as part of the rejuvenation, accumulated silt deposits in the lake were removed. On average, about 45 centimeters of mud is deposited in the lake area every year.
Most of the silt deposits are dry vegetation, animal waste, and sand from the hills that are washed away during the rains. Accumulated silt was removed to store excess rainwater in the lake, which was rejuvenated many years ago.
During the monsoon, excess rainwater from the lake is discharged into stormwater drains and a ditch in the fort. The water then flows into the Nicholson Canal before discharging into the Palar River at the Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH-48).
Corporation officials said the city has been witnessing good rainfall for the past few weeks since the 2021 floods. Thanks to the restoration by the civic body, the lake is able to accumulate excess rainwater to its full storage capacity.
Out of the total 24 wells around the lake managed by the Corporation, earlier water was pumped from only 11 wells due to low water table. Rejuvenation of the lake has helped the civic body draw water from most borewells around the lake, officials said.
At present, the total water consumption of the civic body is 80 MLD per day. Household water consumption within company limits is met by TWAD.
Published – 16 Nov 2025 05:41 IST
