Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120157300100.htm

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Encroachments along waterbodies being removed

Vidya Venkat

Water from lakes of Ambattur, Narayanapuram and Keelkattalai floods nearby areas following rain

— Photo: M. Karunakaran

Clearing out: Earthmovers removing the encroachments near the Keelkattalai lake, under the supervision of PWD officials, in Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: The Public Works Department stepped in to remove encroachments along water bodies in Ambattur and Keelkattalai areas on Sunday morning to drain out the floodwater.

The department identified these areas as requiring the most urgent attention as water from the lakes of Ambattur, Narayanapuram and Keelkattalai had started flooding the nearby areas following heavy rain since Wednesday.

“Our priority is to remove encroachments wherever the flow of water is blocked,” PWD Secretary S. Audiseshiah told The Hindu on Sunday. He said the work would continue in the days to come and it would be taken up along other water bodies as well.

Court directive

A Madras High Court order in 2007, directed the PWD to remove encroachments on 21 waterbodies in the city.

Though, a deadline of May 2008 was set, the work remained incomplete due to certain constraints, Mr.Audiseshiah said.

He said, “Encroachers were not cooperating with us. Finding alternative sites nearby to rehabilitate them was difficult.”

According to PWD sources, in Sathya Nagar, Ambattur, the flow of water was blocked by 21 encroachments which were removed. These included thatched huts and pucca construction.

“A total of 9,000 encroachments have been identified on the Ambattur lake and we will remove them gradually,” a PWD official said.

The downstream canal of the lake was widened to ease the flow of surplus water.

Huts, houses removed

In Narayanapuram, Pallikaranai town panchayat, 20 temporary huts and pucca houses were removed.

In both localities, revenue department officials facilitated the temporary relocation of residents.