Tension prevailed for some time on Thursday morning at Aalankadu East near Muthupettai as a group of local residents attempted to prevent officials from clearing encroachments on water bodies abutting East Coast Road.
The demonstrators, including women and school children in uniforms, pleaded with officials not to raze down their dwelling units until alternative sites were allotted to them for their relocation in the same area.
They also requested the officials to consider their plea positively by pointing out that their petitions filed before the Madras High Court was to be heard on August 23. Officials, who arrived at Aalankadu East to clear the encroachments on water bodies as per a Court direction, decided to pull down the encroachments along the ECR on Thursday, sources added.