Chennai: At 41 feet above sea level, residents of Chennai may soon go for sightseeing here Villivakkam Lake As the Municipal Corporation is completing the construction of the enclosed glass doors suspension bridge,
The bridge, built on the model of Singapore, will be 250 meters long and will also have stairs and lifts. This will be the first such bridge in Chennai built at a cost of Rs 27 crore.
While the National Green Tribunal had stayed the construction of the amusement park at Villivakkam Lake, the corporation is going ahead with the suspension bridge construction alone, as it maintains that the bridge does not encroach upon the watershed area.
“The bridge does not come under the purview of the stay ordered by the NGT. However, we are not going ahead with the water treatment plant at the amusement park and lake complex,” said a corporation official on condition of anonymity, as the NGT hearing on the matter is scheduled in weeks time.
The lake area is about 39 acres, of which 27.5 is with the Municipal Corporation and 11.5 is with the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
NGO Arappor Iyakkam argued that the size of the lake has already been reduced from 214 acres to 39 acres and at least the remaining part of the lake needs to be reclaimed.
“The suspension bridge cannot encroach on the lake, but a part of the bridge starts from the edge of the lake, which is not the actual dam. So while the demarcation of the dam itself is questionable, there will be a problem here with the bridge starting from the dam,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, convener of Arapore Ayakkam.
The next hearing on the issue is to be held before the NGT on March 21.
The bridge, built on the model of Singapore, will be 250 meters long and will also have stairs and lifts. This will be the first such bridge in Chennai built at a cost of Rs 27 crore.
While the National Green Tribunal had stayed the construction of the amusement park at Villivakkam Lake, the corporation is going ahead with the suspension bridge construction alone, as it maintains that the bridge does not encroach upon the watershed area.
“The bridge does not come under the purview of the stay ordered by the NGT. However, we are not going ahead with the water treatment plant at the amusement park and lake complex,” said a corporation official on condition of anonymity, as the NGT hearing on the matter is scheduled in weeks time.
The lake area is about 39 acres, of which 27.5 is with the Municipal Corporation and 11.5 is with the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
NGO Arappor Iyakkam argued that the size of the lake has already been reduced from 214 acres to 39 acres and at least the remaining part of the lake needs to be reclaimed.
“The suspension bridge cannot encroach on the lake, but a part of the bridge starts from the edge of the lake, which is not the actual dam. So while the demarcation of the dam itself is questionable, there will be a problem here with the bridge starting from the dam,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, convener of Arapore Ayakkam.
The next hearing on the issue is to be held before the NGT on March 21.