Chennai: Commercial buildings encroaching on Cooum to go next

CHENNAI: After completing rehabilitation of a majority of squatters from the banks of the

Cooum

, authorities are now targeting the commercial buildings that are located on the river bank. More than 150 such buildings have been identified by the authorities, which are found in various parts of the city.

A senior official from the public works department (

PWD

) said when the case relating to encroachment eviction and demolition of commercial buildings came up for hearing in the Madras high court, the judges wanted to know the status of evacuation and rehabilitation of squatters and also the demolition of the buildings on the river banks.

Fifteen buildings were identified along Commander-in-Chief Road in Egmore, a dozen buildings near Aminjikarai bridge, 65 buildings in

Anna Nagar

, 35 on the Inner Ring Road in Naduvankarai and a few other locations. Soon after the river restoration project began, the department had identified the buildings on river banks and in 2018 itself issued notices to them for demolition.

The

Chennai River Restoration Trust

(CRRT) had to coordinate with PWD,

Greater Chennai Corporation

, Metrowater and revenue department authorities to fix the date for starting the demolition process, the official said. Around 12,800 families have been evacuated in the past six years from the banks of the Cooum and Adyar rivers.