The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Delay in site allotment leaves lake encroachers in the lurch

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Friday, Feb 13, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Delay in site allotment leaves lake encroachers in the lurch

Deepa H Ramakrishnan and K. Lakshmi

13 acres earmarked for those evicted from waterbodies

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

RAMSHACKLE: With no alternative sites provided, residents of structures that encroached upon the Narayanapuram lake at Pallikaranai continue to live there.

CHENNAI: Sixty-year-old Rani and her husband Chinnappan, who is unwell, are homeless. Their home at Nageshwari Amman Nagar, which borders the Narayanapuram lake in the Pallikaranai area was demolished by the Water Resources Department four months ago. It was one among the 216 structures that were razed to the ground since they had encroached upon 4.57 hectares of the lake, whose total area is 21.37 hectares.

“When they came to demolish our house, we barely had four hours to remove our belongings. In the process, I misplaced the EB card, which is now being insisted upon by the officials for giving us an alternative site at Perungulathur. This despite our getting a token and posing for photographs for the alternative site,” said Rani, who has been frequenting the tahsildar’s office at Tambaram. “I have been coming to this for a signature from the official, which I am told is a must for getting the site. But nobody gives me a proper reply,” she said. There are several others in her area who have no clue to when they will get the “promised land.”

Rupavathi, a resident of neighbouring Gandhi Nagar, who works as a domestic help, said they lived in a hut in the lake area for more than 11 years. “It was only a month before the demolition that we finished constructing our house, taking a loan of Rs.2.50 lakh. Two of my daughters work in an export unit. If we move to Perungulathur, will we get jobs there? The place does not even have power, water or bus facilities,” she said, with tears welling up in her eyes. Several residents said many people were demanding bribes for getting them an alternative site.

Water Resources Department officials said 13 acres had been earmarked for those evicted from the Tambaram Pudhu Thangal, Kovilambakkam and Narayanapuram lakes and the Adambakkam surplus course. Nearly 250 people evicted from the Tambaram Pudhu Thangal had been provided with about 500 square feet each. About 400 people evicted from the other areas would be provided with alternative sites in the next few days.

Officials of the Revenue Department in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts, who are co-ordinating with the Water Resources Department to remove encroachments from the waterbodies, said the Water Resources Department was responsible for cleaning and earmarking boundaries on the alternatives housing sites.

Water Resources Department officials, however, said their role was limited to removing encroachments from the waterbodies, and the Revenue Department was responsible for resettling the affected and development of infrastructure in the area.

Sources in the Water Resources Department said manpower shortage in the Revenue Department was another reason for the delay in allotting the alternative sites. The feasibility of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board providing housing to those evicted was also under consideration, the officials said.

The debris along the waterbodies would be removed in a couple of days. The Water Resources Department has planned to take up fencing of vulnerable portions of the bunds and demarcate the boundary of these waterbodies, the officials said.

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