Chennai: From Erikkarai bus stand on the Velachery 100-feet road, a stroll down Perumal Koil Street, off the bypass road, will take you to a spot that once used to be a portion of a lake. Covered by algae, sewage, and filth, the waterbody has now turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.People in the 50-odd houses along the stretch and several others away from the waterbody — which officials and politicians say are encroachments — live with the stench. Officials from the corporation come to clean the lake periodically, remove waste along the banks, and leave.The residents blame sewage pipelines laid inside the waterbody. “Officials have not plugged these pipelines. Corporation workers also do not take efforts to clean the lake consistently,” said S Leelavathi, a resident. A corporation worker, who was present at the spot for routine garbage clearing work, said there were four pipes draining sewage into the lake.Adyar zone assistant engineer R Vijayakumar, however, said none of these pipelines was laid by Metrowater. “The stretch lies on an encroached portion of the lake,” he said. In cases where there are sewage overflows via Metrowater pipelines, the civic agency takes action, he said. “But such works are done only in areas that are not encroached. To address allegations of leaking Metrowater sewage lines, the encroachments have to be cleared first,” he said.Ward 177 councillor P Manimaran agrees. “Water resources department has taken steps to remove encroachments in these areas. Several houses were built illegally. They have to be removed. Only then can any civic issue be resolved,” he said. In 2024, the WRD started a biometric survey to remove encroachments on Velachery lake, following a National Green Tribunal order.When asked about the measures that could be carried out to temporarily rid the stretch of the stench, R Heartin, Zone-13 assistant commissioner in charge, said high-end mini amphibian machines have to be deployed to clean the lake first and remove the dumped waste. “Several departments have to work in close coordination to remove the illegal sewer lines first. The health department must take steps to fumigate the entire area,” he said.