Retteri lake in north-west Chennai has had its biggest makeover in decades. The Water Resources Department’s Rs 43.19 crore project raises its storage from 32 million cubic feet to 45.13 mcft and adds four islands for nesting birds. By June 2025 it was about 90 per cent complete, according to a report in The Hindu summarised by Vision IAS. The aim is to make it a dependable drinking water source for the northern and western suburbs.
Residents of Kolathur, Madhavaram, Retteri and Lakshmipuram know the lake as a morning walking track and a drought-time water source. Here is what the project changes, the problems it leaves open, and what to watch for this monsoon.
The lake and its job
The WRD gives the lake’s area as 400 acres, per revenue records. Older government records mention about 700 acres, and residents estimate close to 100 acres has been lost to encroachment, Citizen Matters reported in June 2024. The Grand Northern Trunk Road cuts across it.
The lake helped cover Chennai’s shortfall in the 2019 drought and recharges groundwater in the area, The News Minute noted. According to a May 2024 DT Next report, Metro Water planned to draw 10 million litres a day from it for homes in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Ambattur, zones 6 and 7. That supply is treated at a modernised Rs 21.39 crore treatment plant at Retteri.
What the restoration includes
| Item | Figure | Reported |
|---|---|---|
| Project cost | Rs 43.19 crore | Citizen Matters, June 2024 |
| Work began | August to September 2023 | The Hindu (June 2025); DT Next (May 2024) |
| Storage before | 32 to 33 mcft | Citizen Matters; DT Next |
| Storage after | 45.13 mcft | Citizen Matters; The Hindu |
| Silt removed by June 2025 | About 12.5 lakh cubic metres of 13 lakh planned | The Hindu |
| Bird islands | 4 | Citizen Matters; The Hindu |
| Progress | About 90% (June 2025) | The Hindu |
Besides desilting, the work strengthens the bunds and repairs the walking path first built in 2017. It also adds a compound wall and a new walkway on the bund on both sides of GNT Road, plus a regulator. The four islands, built from excavated soil and planted with greenery, are meant to give herons, egrets and cormorants safe nesting and roosting spots away from people and dogs.
Birds at Retteri
Retteri is not a bird sanctuary, but it is one of the larger open waters in the north-west of the city, together with the Ambattur and Korattur lakes. Citizen Matters has named the Asian openbill, common tailorbird and purple-rumped sunbird among birds seen at the lake. The openbill is a stork that follows water across south India. No official bird count for the lake has been published.
The islands should help, but only if the water stays clean and the islands stay undisturbed. Walkers can help by keeping dogs leashed on the bund and not throwing food into the water.
The problems that remain
- Sewage. Residents say sewage flows in through the Korattur and Ambattur canal. A November 2023 report also described sewage tankers dumping into the lake. The WRD says outfalls are the corporation’s responsibility and that it has written to it. The restoration tender did not cover sewage.
- Encroachments. The revenue department identified 178 encroachers and served notices. The WRD said commercial structures had been removed and 55 houses on the bund remained, to be cleared under court directions.
- The wall. An 800-metre stretch of compound wall was held up by court cases, The Hindu reported in June 2025.
- The old boundary. Residents want the lake restored to its extent on a 1908 map, not just the present revenue record.
Retteri this monsoon
The northeast monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu on 15 October 2026. A deeper Retteri can now take in more runoff before its surplus channels start flowing, which matters for low-lying streets around Kolathur and Madhavaram. It also means the lake will hold water longer into the dry months, which is what the drinking water plan depends on. For walkers, the bund path can be slippery after heavy rain, and stretches near the water’s edge are best avoided when the lake is close to full. If you see a breach, seepage through the bund or water spilling where it should not, report it to the WRD straight away.
Who to contact
For the lake bed, bunds, islands and water level, contact the Water Resources Department. Sewage outfalls and garbage on the shore are for the Greater Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metro Water. Both agencies sit on the Chennai district wetland committee, which the Collector chairs, so a written complaint copied to the Collector’s office can help when departments point at each other.
Quick answers
How much is the Retteri lake project?
Rs 43.19 crore, carried out by the Water Resources Department.
How much water will Retteri hold?
About 45.13 million cubic feet after restoration, up from about 32 mcft.
Is Retteri a drinking water source?
Yes. It is being developed as one, with water treated at the Retteri plant for parts of zones 6 and 7.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Retteri lake work in full swing, to be over before monsoon (DT Next, via PressReader)
- New look, old problems: Residents question Rs 43-crore Retteri Lake restoration plan (Citizen Matters)
- Chennai’s Retteri Lake is getting a new look, but residents say old problems remain (The News Minute)
- Residents urge swift completion of Retteri lake restoration ahead of northeast monsoon (The Hindu, summarised by Vision IAS)
- Saving the eri: how communities came together to restore Chennai’s lakes (Citizen Matters)
- District Level Wetland Management Committee (Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority)
