Illegal coastal roads, layouts under scanner

Following a meeting, the Corporation will screen road registers of coastal areas

The civic body also plans to identify unauthorised roads within 100 metres of the Buckingham canal. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The Chennai Corporation, on Friday, decided to identify unauthorised roads and layouts developed in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, as a precursor to demolishing such infrastructure.

Following a meeting held on Friday, the Corporation plans to screen all road registers of coastal areas to identify ‘unauthorised roads’ and ‘layouts’ that have been developed in violation of CRZ norms.

Mapping will be done of illegal roads in a 500-metre coastal strip extending over 55 km between Ennore in the north and Uthandi in the south. Corporation officials are likely to suspend issuance of planning permission or building approvals on such roads till the study is completed, likely by March.

A few months ago, residents of areas such as Uthandi reported a number of cases of illegal layouts and roads on poromboke land near the coast. The Corporation will initiate enforcement action against buildings constructed on such unauthorised roads.

Last year, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority asked the civic body to identify violations on the coast. But the project failed to take off; and new illegal roads have been developed along the coast in the past few months, according to Corporation councillors of coastal wards.

The Corporation will primarily screen roads constructed after 1991 in the CRZ-II and CRZ-III areas. Norms pertaining to urban development under the second master plan will not be applicable in CRZ-II that includes developed areas within 500 metres from the shore.

Roads, infrastructure projects and housing are not allowed in CRZ-III, which covers a 500-metre stretch of beach from Injambakkam to Uthandi. However, ‘recreation-based activities’ are permitted beyond 200 metres from the coast in CRZ-III.

Junior engineers of the Corporation wards will also identify unauthorised roads within 100 metres on either side of the Buckingham canal in the entire metropolitan area, within 100 metres of Cooum river from the river mouth to Chetpet bridge, and within 100 metres of Adyar river from its mouth to Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet.

The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority has given CRZ clearance for projects on the landward side of a road that existed before 1991. Since then, a number of multi-storeyed buildings have been constructed. Environmental activists have objected to such clearance, demanding a list of roads approved by the State coastal zone management authority.