Date:04/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/04/stories/2008100450180100.htm

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Illegal construction in Sowcarpet demolished

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Ganesan

VIOLATIONS GALORE: The six-storeyed building on Tirupalli Street, Sowcarpet, being demolished on Friday.

CHENNAI: Unauthorised portions of a six-storeyed residential building in Sowcarpet were demolished on Friday by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority in association with the Chennai Corporation and police.

It was the second such demolition in north Chennai in the last four days.

According to CMDA officials, the building on Tirupillai Street, under construction, had violated the rules. The building owner was given permission only to construct ground and first floors. In August last year, the owner, P. Madan Lal, was issued a demolition notice in person by CMDA staff, but he did not respond, said a senior official, who supervised the demolition.

When the demolition notice was served each floor was an open hall without partitions. Subsequently, the owner converted the halls on all floors into rooms, officials said.

Tirupillai Street, off Wall Tax Road, is about 20-m wide and has many such high-rise buildings. On whether the CMDA would demolish all unauthorised constructions on the Street, the officials said it would be done if the building rules had been violated.

Mr. Madan Lal said he had built the structure before the demolition notice had been served.

Chennai Corporation officials and police were present during the demolition. Police sources said the demolition was taken up after neighbours lodged complaints against the owner.