A narrow stretch in West Mambalam has become a bone of contention between residents and a lady, who the former say has laid claim to something that is public property. Residents say Vilmani, or Nagamma as she is popularly called, has encroached upon more than half of the 20-feet Gokulam Colony road, connecting Balakrishna Mudali Street and Srinivasa Pillai Street, for over 30 years now.
Much to the chagrin of residents here, the Gokulam Colony road, though present on the map has never really belonged to them. Back in 1984, the road was reclaimed by residents after a legal suit against a property developer who had blocked the stretch for construction purpose. The developer had bought the land from 50 hut dwellers previously living there. After the promoter ‘surrendered’ the street, the residents say it was taken over by Nagamma, who built a hut which eats into much of the road space.
“We have been fighting a losing battle against the woman for 30 years now. We have approached the Corporation and the court, but have failed to get her evicted from the street. Twice on our request the hut was razed down and a police post installed in the street. But, ones the police left, she was back to the same spot. The Mayor, the MLA and other top officials have visited the area but nothing concrete has been done. We have also tried speaking to the lady but she has retorted with harsh words every time,” says a resident (name withheld) of Mahalakshmi Apartments on the Balakrishna Street.
Every time a case is filed, an ex parte stay is imposed as no one from the Corporation appears to argue the case. “Though a written statement was filed by the corporation implicating the woman, but a legal council failed to appear when the case came up for hearing. In the absence of any representation, the City Civil Court imposed an exparte stay and gave a judgment in her favour in March this year,” says a long-time resident of Gokulam Colony.
The residents charge, and the corporation statement submitted to the court also ratifies, that the hut-dweller has been living here by producing fabricated documents. “She has herself given her hut a door number. The ‘number 13’ used by her belongs to someone else and we have registration documents to prove it,” the residents say. Nagamma is evidentially angry with the resident’s move against her.
She says: “I have been living here since 50 years. I have all necessary residential proofs such as election ID, bank passbook, State health card and ration card. No one can evict me from my house. I will leave only if the government provides a house nearby.”
It is a hard task for corporation garbage collection truck to enter the street. “We have a dustbin near the hut. The collection truck finds it difficult to enter the street as the road is narrowed down by the encroachment. It has even damaged the compound wall of the house in front of the hut. Other vehicles taking the road are also forced to go over the storm water drain, causing it to give in. After multiple representations it was rebuilt but has again caved in now. The broken drain poses a danger to pedestrians, especially children and the elderly,” residents say.
The encroachment must be removed to allow free flow of traffic, they add. “But for the encroachment, this place is the best to reside in, for it is calm and quiet ,” says a senior citizen living in Gokulam Colony.
The 200-odd families of Balakrishna Street, Shree Vidhya Apartment and Gokulam Colony say they will continue their fight against the encroachers and get their road back.
