TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed in Kumbakonam for a while after the officials removed the encroachments along the waterbodies and demolished as many as 39 houses as per the court's direction, while the residents attempted to oppose the process.

After the Madras High Court directed the Thanjavur district administration to remove the encroachments along the waterbodies after a PIL filed by activist advocate ‘Elephant’ G Rajendran, the Collector B Priyanka Pankajam visited Kumbakonam and conducted a study on August 22.

The Collector along with the Water Resource Department, Corporation and revenue officials surveyed the waterbodies and found that as many as 153 encroachments along 10 canals including Sarvamanya Kottaiyur, Asoor, Moopakovil, Perumandi, Ulloor, Thirubuvanam and Sekkankani and 11 water bodies including Pottramarai kulam, Kusavan kulam, Ellukuttai, Chandrapushkarani, Pappakulam and Babu Kulam.

As phase I removal of encroachment, the officials on Thursday, visited Kottayan Thottam and removed the encroachments along Thirubuvanam canal in which as many as 39 houses were demolished after disconnecting the power supply. Kumbakonam Sub Collector monitored the process.

Subsequently, the removal of encroachments along Mela Cauvery were removed. Tahsildhar Shanmugam said, out of 153 persons who encroached on the waterbodies, as many as 80 were given an alternate housing site at Shembadi.

While the Corporation Commissioner Lakshmanan appealed to the residents to remove the encroachments voluntarily for the good of future generations. He also said that the Civic administration is keen on implementing the court direction.