CHENNAI: The government on Friday cracked down on encroachments and land grabbers in two major drives across the city.
After years of delay, the PWD and revenue department demolished 14 of the 403 houses constructed illegally on the Chitlalapakkam lake. On the other hand, five people were arrested for selling government land in Injambakkam. Based on the complaint of Sholinganallur tahsildar Manisekar, the Neelankarai police registered a fresh case and arrested the five. An investigation officer said, “We are searching for a few more people involved in the racket. Many people had paid them money and illegally registered plots in their names.”
Following a high court order on January 24, the revenue officials have begun retrieving 164 acres of wetland in Injambakkam where more than 5,000 people were staying.
In Chitlapakkam, the PWD officials faced stiff resistance from the encroachers. “Despite resistance but we are committed to finishing the drive in the next 25 days,” said PWD assistant engineer Prabhu, in charge of the drive.
The PWD is set to reclaim about 20 acres of lake land. Both shanties and big apartments were demolished during the drive. It is unlikely that the evicted residents would be given alternate housing as some of them are affluent while others are tenants. “All the housing board quarters nearby are full. We have to check the availability,” Prabhu said. Both the drives come after a strong message from the high court to save the water bodies in the state. Activists welcomed the drives.
“The Chitlapakkam lake restoration will now be a model for other lakes. However, there are very marginalised people living here. Their livelihood is dependent on the locality and the government can give them alternative accommodation in the vicinity,” said Sunil Jayaraman of Chitlapakkam Rising NGO.
