An eye on encroachments on Chennai Bypass

Poonamallee municipality launches drive to check unauthorised constructions

Buildings that violate norms and those without approvals have been mushrooming along Chennai Bypass, officials said. File Photo

In an effort to curb encroachments, particularly along Chennai Bypass — considered the city’s gateway — the Poonamallee municipality has launched a drive to identify unauthorised buildings.

The fast-developing Poonamallee municipality has nearly 15,400 property tax assessees and there are many residential and commercial buildings that have come up without proper building plan approvals from the local body.

Recently, such illegal constructions have been mushrooming, especially along Chennai Bypass, officials said, explaining why the drive has been launched.

A team of officials has already identified 33 buildings that either deviate from the building plan or have not obtained building plan approvals from the municipality.

In the past month alone, 14 more constructions have been identified for violating norms stipulated by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

B.V. Surendra Sha, municipality commissioner, said that two buildings were sealed last month as there was no response to notices served to the owners. While one was a blue metal crusher unit along Chennai Bypass, the other was a residential structure in Lakshmipuram. The drive against building violations will be intensified in the coming weeks, he said.

The local body also plans to generate more revenue by regulating construction activity in the area and diverting those funds for development projects. This year, the municipality has set Rs. 182 lakh as its target for taxes, including arrears, he said.