Plea for removal of encroachments around Perumal Temple, Valliyoor main road

Illegal structures along Valliyoor Main Road and near Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam hinder public events, prompting appeals for removal.

With illegal structures rampantly coming up along Valliyoor Main Road, on both sides of the street near Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam in Valliyoor and along the car streets of Perumal Temple, the public have appealed to the official machinery to remove the encroachments at the earliest.

Besides literary meetings, the Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam has hosted political meetings addressed by E.V. Ramasamy Periyar, late Chief Ministers K. Kamaraj, M. Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The sprawling space in front of the open auditorium has been used for conducting volleyball and kabaddi tournaments in the past.

During festivals such as Pongal, the Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam ground would host the a range of sports events for children as part of the celebrations.

However, this place does not witness any more public meetings or sports events as illegal structures have come-up rampantly in the recent past, the public say. Most of the families living on both sides of Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam street are financially strong and have cars. Instead of parking the four-wheelers within their compound wall, sheds with concrete platforms have been erected on the street to park their luxury vehicles that include sports utility vehicles.

To make things worse, cars and cargo vehicles are parked right on the street even during the day that hamper the free flow of vehicles.

“The illegal structures coming up on both sides of Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam street hamper the meetings or sports events. Even though representations have been made to officials, no action has been taken so far to remove the encroachments. Officials should also remove the encroachments along Valliyoor main road.,” said Arthur Joseph of Valliyoor.

Another major issue is the sewage flowing from some of the houses near Thiruvalluvar Kalaiyarangam that has created nauseating conditions. “Since the official machinery is in no mood to act tough against the encroachers, the car streets around Perumal Temple have also been narrowed down by the illegal structures,” said Mr. Arthur Joseph.