Behind the Mambalam police station lies a public tank that needs a scrub, a bit of smartening-up and also a ring a protection to prevent it from being misused. Shrubs have come up on its footpath. On all its sides, there is carelessly-flung garbage. Along one side, vehicles, derelict and out of action, are found parked. Besides, residents of the locality have complained that anti-socials misuse the tank. Gaining access to it is as easy as rolling off a log. In fact, easier than that. A part of its compound wall collapsed a few months ago, and no effort has been made to rebuild it.
The park comes under Ward 140 in Zone-10 (Kodambakkam) of Greater Chennai Corporation. Residents want the civic body to revive the tank, and they want the exercise to include connecting the existing stormwater drains to the tank, the way it has been done at the tank at Kapaleeshwarar temple.
The tank is located at the centre of a thickly-populated area in West Mambalam.
“Until a few years ago, the tank was one of the major drinking water sources for people in this locality. When summer is at its height, the tank becomes bone-dry,” says S. Vishnu, a resident of West Mambalam. Residents believe connecting the stormwater drains with the tank will revive it and this would put an end to its misuse. Moreover, a tank filled with water will do a lot of good for the groundwater table. At present, in this locality, borewells are sunk up to a depth of 200 feet to get water. During summer, most of the borewells and ordinary wells go dry forcing residents to rely on private tankers and the Chennai Metrowater water supply to meet their daily water needs.
Residents want the problem of garbage accumulating on the sides of the tank addressed immediately. A Corporation park, renovated not long ago,is located on the western side of the tank. It attracts a stream of Visitors during the day, and some of these people fling used items and leftovers into the dry tank, say residents.
Security around the tank is another issue. Residents point out that a few LED street lights on the streets around the tank have been damaged by miscreants. There is little human movement on these streets after sunset.
Restoration of the tank, which includes repairs on the damaged compound wall, and provision of basic facilities including better lighting and footpaths will ensure that these residents have a leisure spot to hang out at. “Steps will be taken soon to revive the tank,” says a Corporation official.