Stiff resistance from residents and intimidation forced revenue officials to slow down their eviction drive along the Adyar bank in Anakaputhur.
Residents of as many as 676 houses were to be evicted. When the officials visited the spot on Thursday after a long tussle between them and residents, they began the demolition process at 29 houses vacated by the occupants.
Previously, the residents had prevented the officials from entering their neighbourhood.
A senior revenue official from Pallavaram taluk says, “Alternate housing facilities have been allocated for them in Semmenchery. However, the residents demanded accommodation somewhere near Anakaputhur.”
Replying to journalists, Tambaram Revenue Division Officer S. Chandrasekaran said, “All the buildings will be demolished in a few days. Then we will hand over the land to the Public Works Department. They will have to make sure that the area will not be encroached upon in the future.”
