The Muthannan Kulam stands shrunk by 20 acres – from the original 93 acres to 63 acres. Plaster of Paris (PoP) dumped into the lakebed has rendered the nearby borewells dry as it does not let water seep in into the ground. Dumping of religious waste and plastics, encroachments and sewage released by them are the other major problems faced by the Chola era-lake.