Impact of Rapid Urbanization and Encroachment on the Major Lakes of Chennai: A Spatial Analysis

The rapid urbanization and encroachment in Chennai have significantly impacted five major lakes from 1972 to 2019. By overlaying historical lake boundaries from 1972 toposheets onto 2019 satellite images, substantial reductions in lake areas due to urban expansion are revealed. The lakes analyzed include Ambattur, Velachery, Korattur, Perungudi, and Rettai Eri. Velachery Lake is the most affected, retaining only 24.78% of its original area, with 75.22% encroached upon. Ambattur Lake has 60.27% of its area remaining, while 39.73% is encroached. Korattur Lake remains largely intact with 95.75% of its original area preserved and only 4.25% encroached. Perungudi Lake shows 74.41% remaining area and 25.59% encroachment. Rettai Eri Lake retains 60.99% of its original area with 39.01% encroached. These findings underscore the urgent need for effective urban planning and stringent regulatory measures to protect and restore these critical water bodies. The data-driven insights provided can inform policymakers and urban planners to devise strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of encroachment, ensuring the sustainable management and ecological integrity of Chennai's lake ecosystems.