The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Encroaching structures near Arapatheri lake removed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 18, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Encroaching structures near Arapatheri lake removed

K. Lakshmi

Drive as per the Madras High Court directive: PWD official

— Photo: K.Pichumani

Eviction Drive: Earthmovers involved in removing the encroachments near the Arapatheri Lake at Thirumullaivoyal on Saturday.

CHENNAI: About 30 encroaching structures near the Arapatheri lake at Thirumullaivoyal were removed on Saturday by the Public Works Department as part of its drive to rehabilitate water bodies on the city fringes.

A PWD official said the eviction drive was done as per the Madras High Court directive to demarcate the lake boundary and remove encroachments by May. It was being done jointly with the officials of Revenue department and Ambattur Tahsildar.

Of the total 46 encroachments for which notices were issued earlier, 15 could not be removed as the matter was pending in court. The remaining structures were removed during the day-long operation.

Representatives from Communist Party of India, including State secretary D. Pandian and former MLA A. S. Kannan, who came to the site, demanded that the operation be put off for a few days as it would affect the poor people. However, the eviction drive was executed in the area.

The PWD official said a few of them conceded to shift them the alternative site given to them.

The department plans to take up similar encroachment-removal drives near water bodies at Korattur and Ayanambakkam in the week. While about 690 encroachers had been issued with notices at Korattur, about 1,200 households had been given notices at Ayanambakkam, he said.

Of the 19 lakes to be rehabilitated under the Tank Protection Act 2007, eviction has been carried out in three water bodies, including Perungudi lake. Survey is being done to demarcate the Ambattur lake boundary. The department plans to complete the encroachment removal in as many lakes as possible to facilitate submission of report in the court the official added.

Meanwhile, CPI members plan to hold a demonstration near the Chennai Collectorate on Monday, protesting against eviction in the western suburbs. The North Chennai district committee of the CPI(M) has condemned the eviction and requested the department to suspend the drive.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu