Eviction of encroachments in waterbodies likely to resume ahead of monsoon onset

The Greater Chennai Corporation and other agencies are set to resume encroachment removal drives along waterbodies on government lands and poramboke land.

The Greater Chennai Corporation and other agencies are set to resume encroachment removal drives along waterbodies on government lands and poramboke land.

As a meeting of the State Steering Committee is scheduled this week to review the overall progress of the eviction of encroachments in waterbodies and on poramboke lands, the civic body is expected to intensify the enumeration, eviction and monitoring of the encroachments. 

The Corporation has not carried out any drive to remove encroachments in the past six months. Work on eviction of several encroachments such as Thideer Nagar, near Greams Road along the Cooum, has been delayed owing to a court case, officials said. Many residents in such settlements had opposed the move to remove encroachments. But the Corporation has cleared most of the encroachments along the Cooum from the river mouth to Vanagaram. Some of the encroachments in waterbodies in areas such as Thiruverkadu will be cleared shortly.

Along the Adyar, over 5,000 encroachments had not been removed as the residents had not allowed the officials to carry out biometric identification, the officials said. While encroachments in areas such as Kanu Nagar in Saidapet and various parts of Jafferkhanpet had not been removed in the past few years, those in areas such as Surya Nagar, Thideer Nagar and Alaichi Amman Nagar are yet to be cleared because of protest by residents. Civic agencies are exploring the option of in situ redevelopment in some areas without affecting the flood preparedness of the areas. However, in situ redevelopment will not be permitted on poramboke lands. A decision on this is expected shortly.

The Federation of the Varadharajapuram Residents’ Welfare Association has requested the government to complete the work on cut and cover drain connecting Somangalam Canal to the Adyar via Royappa Nagar. “Our area is not prepared for the onset of the northeast monsoon this year. The work across the ORR has been delayed,” said federation president V. Rajasekaran.

“Work on six shutters is under way to prevent back flow of water from the Adyar to the residential areas. The government should take steps to complete the shutters by the end of September. The storm-water drains along ORR have been clogged. Many electrical posts and transformers were bent because of claying soil. They should avert disaster during the monsoon,” he said.