Nallambal Lake, an abandoned tourist spot near Thirunallar, turns into a sand quarry

Karaikal’s Nallambal Lake, touted as a must visit spot on several tourism websites, has been languishing without basic amenities. Despite the presence of a name board on the road, an arch inside the area and an inaugural stone from 2014, there is little other evidence of it being a tourist spot.

The inaugural stone reveals that the site, managed by the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Tourism Department, was inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy on December 10, 2014. However, activists allege that the site was opened without the completion of the necessary work, despite allocation of ₹4.98 crore.

A detailed project report (DPR) under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0, 2024, describes Nallambal Lake as the only artificially lake in Karaikal district in the Union Territory of Puducherry. “This lake was created in the village of Nallambal near Thirunallar to meet the irrigation needs of farmers. The government now plans to develop the lake into a tourist spot,” the report says. At present, only an entrance arch and dilapidated stone benches are available around the lake. The report emphasises the need for basic tourist infrastructure and rejuvenation to attract visitors.

The DPR says ₹10 crore is needed now for comprehensive development, including a lake promenade, walking trails, beautification, parking, basic amenities, lighting, and seating facilities.

“It is a sad state of affairs in Karaikal to have such a large project in an incomplete state for so long. The Puducherry Government did not care to develop this site. Now it’s in a state of ruin with no maintenance. To develop the place, we need to ensure a year-long water supply in the lake with proper inlet and outlet. Visitors to the Thirunallar temple will come here if it were a proper tourist spot,” said former Puducherry Minister R. Kamalakannan.

Officials said that permission had been granted to extract sand from the lake for government projects. They cited lack of funds as a reason for the project’s stagnation.

A senior official said the district administration had sought funds to revive the project.