Madipakkam lake exemplifies ‘blue-green centre’ full of avian life Premium

Madipakkam and Puzhuthivakkam lakes transformed from barren land to urban oases, attracting birds and offering recreational spaces.

Picture a serene lake, spanning 60 acres, encircled by a walkway and adorned with tall palm trees on one side. In the evenings, locals take a stroll, sit on benches and chat, occasionally pausing to look at the wares of hawkers and the diverse eateries lining the street. This is the Madipakkam lake, an example of ‘blue-green centres’ that are now hailed as a conservation strategy in urban areas. However, if you turn the clock back by two decades, the scene would have been different. It was a barren parcel of land plagued by the invasive Prosopis juliflora, illegal sewage discharge, and garbage dumping, one that was vulnerable to further encroachment.

Years of efforts helped to protect the land from construction and encroachments, according to V. Subramani of Sabari Greens Foundation, the non-governmental organisation that played a key role in the restoration of the lake. Now, hundreds of walkers visit the lake every day and senior citizens spend time with their grandchildren here in the evenings, he says.

Restoring an urban lake in a city suffering from high temperatures offers benefits to its surroundings. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, a revitalised lake mitigates the urban heat island through evaporative cooling. (The urban heat island is a metropolitan area that is warmer than the rural areas surrounding it.) Ecologically, the restored lake provides diverse flora and fauna with habitats, thus fostering urban biodiversity. It becomes a recreational space and a sustainable tool for storm water management, reducing flooding and enhancing water resilience in the city.

S. Thirunavukkarasu, adviser, Care Earth Trust, says the restoration of the Madipakkam and Puzhuthivakkam lakes has helped in flood mitigation and recharging of the groundwater table in the immediate surrounding areas. “It is now a catchment that absorbs water and lets out only excess water which flows through the storm water drains. Lake restoration also helps in improving the microclimate of the neighbourhood. Waterbodies can help mitigate the urban heat island,” he says, adding that such lakes also attract avian fauna.

Madipakkam has now joined the ranks of Pallikaranai and Perumbakkam, where diminished wetlands still manage to draw in a variety of birds. So does the Puzhuthivakkam lake, where recently two Asian pied starlings have begun nesting. This has pleased A.M. Aravind, an avid birdwatcher from Velachery. He visits the lake during his morning and evening walks, and has been recording bird sightings.

Asian palm swift, pied kingfisher, rose-ringed parakeets, oriental magpie-robin, drongo, and red-wattled lapwing are some of the birds that can be spotted in the Puzhuthivakkam lake.

Mr. Aravind has also documented the edible herbs around the lake bund, often overlooked as ‘weeds’. While the concept of greenery often conjures images of towering trees, the oft-ignored edible herbs and weeds play a crucial role in local cuisine and traditional medicine. These plants thrive in the diverse ecosystems and offer a wealth of nutritional and medicinal benefits. One prominent example is ‘mookirattai keerai’ (Commelina benghalensis), commonly known as the Benghal dayflower. This resilient weed grows abundantly across fields and open spaces in Tamil Nadu. Its tender shoots and leaves are used in various dishes.