Oussudu lake’s potential remains untapped

Accumulation of silt has drastically reduced the waterbody’s storage capacity and, in turn, affected farmers

The immense drinking water and irrigation potential of the Oussudu lake, the largest freshwater lake in Puducherry with an ayacut of more than 2,000 acres, remains untapped.

The accumulation of an enormous amount of silt in the lake has drastically reduced its storage capacity and, in turn, denied water to irrigate farms in nearly 50 villages, the locals say.

The Oussudu lake has a storage capacity of 540 million cubic feet, but the actual storage is much lower. Farmers have consistently demanded the desilting of the lake and the implementation of long-pending modernisation works, including the strengthening of the bunds, to improve the water-holding capacity of the lake. “In 2008, the government had proposed a ₹40 crore drinking water project with the Oussudu lake as the source. The project envisaged the supply of 20 million litres of drinking water every day. As part of the project, it was proposed that a treatment plant would be set up at Muthirayarpalayam and treated water pumped to houses through existing pipelines,” says K. Ramamoorthy, president of Sembadugai Naneeragam, an environmental organisation.