Even though it is a part of the Adyar River, the water that flows from Chembarambakkam Lake through Anakaputhur is nothing but a filthy stream. In spite of several restoration projects conducted by the government and NGOs alike, the water is dirty and flows amidst piles of garbage and carcasses of animals.
S.Yellimalai says, "There is a lot of waste all around, but it doesn't bother us now." Pointing at several huts nearby, he says," All those huts were flooded. But we got a lot of help from people, so we were able to manage. Talk to those people, they will tell you."
S.Yellimalai, who lives nearby, crosses the stream on foot to go to work. When asked about the state of the river, he says, “This is nothing. You should have seen how it used to be earlier. The stench was so bad, that we could hardly live in our houses. It is bearable now. There is a lot of waste all around, but it doesn't bother us now."
Selviamma lives in one of the houses along the embankments of the river. She says that earlier, she had to walk to the main road to get water for the house, but since the government had put in pipes recently, she was receiving water directly in her tank. The pollution of the Adyar River below does not affect her, she says.