The demolition drive of the district administration as part of flood prevention activities in the city resumed with renewed vigour on Saturday after a two-day break.
Among the illegal structures brought down were a party offices, a trade union office, a large godown of a shop, and boundary walls of houses.
The drive started early in the morning near Yamuna Nagar Road in Karimadom Colony, continuing from the point where the reclaiming of the drains had stopped last week. Encroachments were seen all along the length of the drains. In most areas, the encroachments were on top of the slabs, as seen in other parts of the city. The flow of waste through the drains had all but ceased owing to the encroachments and accumulation of waste materials.
ADVERTISEMENT
Though resistance was almost non-existent, thanks to the Disaster Management Act being in force, there was mild opposition to the drive in the morning leg.
Collector intervenes
The owner of the shop godown claimed that he had not encroached upon the drains and at first refused to remove the vessels and other materials that were piled up inside. But, with the District Collector intervening, these were removed and the godown that was made with metal sheets was pulled down.
ADVERTISEMENT
Later, two small office buildings of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) were also demolished. The boundary walls of most of the houses and establishments along this line were pulled down to make the width of the drain 5.5 m as per the old map from 1954.
“At every point we have to ensure whether the ground is strong enough to go forward. The bottom of the drain is all laid with stone slabs and so the task is easier,” says Sunil, a JCB driver who had been part of the Munnar demolitions of 2007.
The demolition drive ended at Rottikada Junction. On Sunday, it will continue in Aryasala and Chenthitta, to clear up the drain’s path towards the Killi river.