Eviction drive along the Adyar riverbanks

Chennai: A hut in Kesavaperumalpuram being demolished on Sunday as part of an eviction drive along the Adyar riverbanks by the PWD. For the second consecutive day, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Sunday continued with its drive to remove encroachments on the Adyar riverbanks and demolished more huts and concrete houses.The eviction drive, carried out with heavy police bandobust, was relatively peaceful and smooth, unlike on Saturday when residents of hutments on the riverbanks blocked traffic in protest.

On Sunday, confusion prevailed among the residents along the river stretch, from near Kotturpuram bridge to Kesavaperumalpuram in Raja Annamalaipuram, with many hurriedly packing whatever belongings they could salvage. Many of them alleged that they were not given adequate notice."They [PWD] have started making lists of beneficiaries only after we protested yesterday. But, they have not included me although I showed them the ration card application receipt. Now I do not know where to go," alleged Gandhimathi, whose hut near the Kotturpuram bridge was pulled down.

Officials at the site maintained that the enumeration process for identifying beneficiaries from among those who had encroached the riverbank to build shelters was over."We are now giving tokens to all those who have ration cards. They will be allotted houses at the Slum Clearance Board tenements in Semmanchery soon," said a senior official.The PWD is in the process of removing encroachments - 444 from Kesavaperumalpuram, 85 near Kotturpuram bridge, 94 from Bughs Road and nine from Mallippoo Nagar - using earthmovers and other equipment.

Officials said the move follows a government order to remove all encroachments along the water bodies in the city to prevent flooding during rainy seasons."The width of this stretch of Adyar river - between Kotturpuram and Tiru-vi-ka Bridge - has come down because people have encroached on the river course itself. These encroachments pose a danger to the nearby areas during the rainy seasons.As per the GO, we will remove the encroachments by tomorrow and strengthen the bund," the official said.Residents alleged that this particular stretch was being cleared to make way for a road project to be built by the Highways department.