After the Corporation spelt out its plan of evicting families along the Cooum ahead of the northeast monsoon, over 3,789 families in seven slums have expressed their willingness to relocate.
Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash said that slum-dwellers would be “resettled with dignity”.
On Tuesday, eviction of over 960 residents, who have been resisting resettlement in Pallavan Nagar along the Cooum, started.
Early this decade, the residents had successfully thwarted the attempt of Corporation officials to evict them. Pointing to the election promise of the AIADMK leaders in 2011, the residents successfully resisted resettlement. After the death of Jayalalithaa, eviction gained momentum, but a few slums continued to resist.
On Thursday, Corporation officials were able to persuade slum residents to agree to resettlement.
Chennai Corporation Deputy Commissioner (Works) Mantri Govinda Rao said civic officials were able to convince residents by explaining the risks posed by the monsoon in flood-prone areas of the city.
Eco-restoration project
The civic body, ahead of the Cooum eco-restoration project, identified 54 slums and 13,667 project-affected families for resettlement. As many as 4,265 families from 24 slums along the Cooum river were relocated earlier.
A total of 16 slums were partly demolished, resulting in the eviction of 3,660 families.
“Adyar and Cooum will be free of such encroachments,” the Corporation Commissioner said.
