Concern over encroachment of Chinna Eri in Krishnagiri

Krishnagiri Municipality allows tin-roofed cycle shed on dry lake bed, sparking encroachment concerns, violating water body restoration laws.

Krishnagiri Municipality has given a nod to its own lessee to erect a tin-roofed cycle shed on the dry bed of Chinna Eri, an unrevived lake, abutting the Krishnagiri new bus stand, and the work was carried out in April during the Lok Sabha elections.

The shed, as an extension of Municipality’s two-wheeler stand, with tin sheets, asbestos roof propped up by a parapet of stone plunging into the unkempt lake is hinting at an encroachment on a water body by its custodians.

When contacted, the Assistant Executive Engineer of PWD(Water Resources Organisation) Arivoli said, Chinna Eri was under the control of Krishnagiri Municipality and the PWD had no control over it.

Chinna Eri, spread over 16 acres, was proposed to be rejuvenated at a cost of ₹ 3.36 crore by desilting and establishing facilities such as footpath, boat house among other features. However, after the preliminary works, the proposal was suspended during the pandemic. According to sources, the new bus stand, a department store and all other adjunct structures were all standing on the land that was once an extension of Chinna Eri. The same was acknowledged by the Commissioner of Krishnagiri Municipality, Stanly Babu.

The Hindu spoke to Mr. Babu on the apparent encroachment into the lake. “There is no boundary per se and all of this, where the bus stand, Municipality shops stand today was a water body say some 100 years ago,” said Mr. Babu.

“No boundary was fixed when it was given – be it for the bus stand, or the Municipality’s two-wheeler shed or the shops (department store). The rear boundary had not been fixed. When I inquired, they (lessee) said, it was same area that was given to them but it was not used because there was water then, which has now dried up and hence the lessee wanted to put up the cycle shed,” Mr. Babu said.

Explaining his point, Mr. Babu said, “for example, if there was 60ft area behind, it was the same area 60 ft area now, only that there was water before and hence it was not used and now since the water had dried they said they (lessee) want to use it.”