Date:26/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/26/stories/2007122655470100.htm

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Fresh efforts to remove encroachments

K.V. Prasad

ACTION IN STORE: The new Act seeks to vest the PWD with more powers to remove encroachments from tanks such as Valankulam in Coimbatore.

COIMBATORE: Armed with a new Act aimed at protecting water resources, the Public Works Department (PWD) is looking to remove encroachments from tanks in the district.

Official sources in the department say that the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachments Act, which took effect on October 1 this year, provides the much-needed force to any drive aimed at removing unauthorised settlers.

The sources hope that the fresh drive may begin in January as funds for the removal of encroachments were inadequate now. Large portions of almost all the tanks have been encroached and the fresh eviction effort will involve the use of substantial amount of manpower and machinery. This, naturally, will need huge funds. The available maintenance fund is not enough to meet the expenses of eviction.

The Act will make the process of eviction effective. It provides for penalty and even arrest of the encroachers if they resist eviction. Till the Act came into force it was not been clear on what grounds the arrest could be made. But, it now provides for imprisonment up to three years or a fine of Rs. 5,000 or both.

The Act, however, also gives time for the encroachers to vacate. They get 21 days to vacate from the date of issue of a notice by the department. By then, the revenue and survey departments will have measured the tanks and marked out the encroachments. The sources say that a couple of encroachments have been removed following a High Court order.

The Act comes at a time when the Corporation has requested the State Government for the takeover of eight tanks in the city from the PWD. The civic body wants to maintain them under the Rejuvenation of Water Bodies project that will be partly funded by the Central and State Governments. The Corporation also plans to re-settle people living in slums on the water bodies in the tenements it has planned under a project called Basic Services for the Urban Poor.