The eco-park created on the left bank of the Korattur lake, one of the major waterbodies in the western parts of the city, is set to be inaugurated on Monday.
Aiming to provide green cover around the lake, the eco-park was created on an area of 30,000 sq ft, along the Water Canal Road, at a cost of ₹16 lakh.
The recreation facility funded by the GST, Central Excise and Service Tax Appeals II Commissionerate, Chennai, under the Swachh Bharat Action Plan, is expected to be inaugurated by G.V. Krishna Rao, Principal Chief Commissioner, GST and Central Excise, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry zone.
P. Anand Kumar, Commissioner, Appeals-II, GST and Central Excise, said the project aimed to protect the lake from further encroachment. The park would have varieties of ornamental and hedge plants and a lawn.
Various facilities, such as a walkers’ track and benches, have been provided for visitors.
Planned facilities
There are plans to add toilet blocks, he added. People were using the 2 km walkers’ track laid on the bund.
Officials of the Water Resources Department said about 20 solar-powered lamps had been recently installed. The walls would be adorned with colourful paintings, depicting rural and urban life. Volunteers were involved in painting the walls for a distance of nearly 250 m.
Spread across 600 acres, the lake is one of the major sources of groundwater. However, it still continues to be an easy target for sewage pollution and encroachments.
Meanwhile, members of the Korattur Aeri Padhukappu Makkal Iyakkam wanted the surplus channel bringing excess water from the Ambattur lake to be cleared of vegetation.
The channel must be desilted to facilitate smooth flow of floodwater into the Korattur lake, they said.