For the third consecutive day, Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand inspected desilting works being carried out at Narayanapuram and Velachery lakes on Wednesday.The inspection formed part of a three-day special drive launched by the Water Resources Department to clear silt, floating waste and invasive vegetation from key waterways and waterbodies ahead of the Northeast monsoon.The programme covered stretches of the Cooum and Adyar rivers, Okkiyam Maduvu, the South Buckingham Canal, and the Velachery and Narayanapuram lakes with the support of non-governmental organisations and corporate social responsibility initiatives.Spread over nearly 22.40 hectare, the heavily clogged Velachery lake is a major groundwater recharge source for the locality. While the department focused on flood mitigation, residents urged the State government to initiate steps to prevent sewage discharge into the lake. Geetha Ganesh of Velachery West said sewage inflow and garbage dumping must be stopped and bund on the lake’s southern side should be strengthened.The drive is aimed at improving the carrying capacity of waterways and reducing the risk of flooding in vulnerable parts of the city during monsoon. Desilting of Narayanapuram lake would mitigate flooding in areas around the Pallikaranai marshland, said a press release.The Minister on Tuesday directed the officials to ensure speedy completion of desilting of the Manapakkam stretch of Adyar River and southern reach of the Buckingham Canal.He launched the removal of water hyacinth and garbage from both the waterways. He said the work to allow free-flow of water must be completed before the onset of the Northeast Monsoon, said a press release. Published - July 30, 2026 12:57 am IST