WRD plans fresh round of evictions along Cooum, Adyar rivers and Buckingham canal
The Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) had told the court that though allotments were made by the board, sale deeds have not been issued to the beneficiaries as the land under the scheme have not yet been transferred to the board so far. TNUHDB said the scheme area remains with the Public Works Department.
The order by Justice GR Swaminathan stated, when the area occupied by the petitioners is a waterbody, they have to vacate it and the only remedy they can seek is alternative accommodation.
'The high court has been constantly directing us to restore Chennai rivers and Buckingham Canal after removing the encroachments. But we are not sure if we will be able to resettle encroachers within the deadline given to us,' a senior WRD official told TNIE.
The official said that out of 15,526 families living in 60 habitations along the Cooum river, 14,121 families from 52 habitations have already been relocated till April this year.
'Efforts are on to shift the remaining families,' he said. As for the Adyar river, out of 9,539 identified encroachments, only 4,728 locations have been cleared so far.
In another order earlier this month, Justice Swaminathan directed TNUHDB to carry out an enumeration of families at Srinivasapuram in Pattinampakkam and evict them within eight weeks, and provide them alternate housing arrangements. The court called the settlement an 'illegal extension' of TNUHDB habitation in the area constructed between 1970 and 1977 in the Adyar creek and on the coastline.
Another official pointed out that a feasibility report costing Rs 3.87 crore has been submitted for the demarcation of the Adyar, Cooum, and Buckingham Canal using Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), under the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT) fund.
'In addition, CRRT has approved Rs 11.93 crore for boundary demarcation works along the Buckingham Canal, and the work is already underway,' he said. 'We believe once the government releases funds, the remaining work can be taken up quickly,' an official noted. M Janaki, chief engineer of WRD (Chennai region), refused to comment on the issue.
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