Fringe party protests demolition of encroachment on Chitlapakkam

However, the work was delayed after about 30 people from the Hindu Munnani group protested against the demolition of the temple, for which they were detained by the Chitlapakkam Police.

The severe flooding of Chitlapakkam in 2015 and again in the beginning of this month was caused by the encroachments on the Chitlapakkam lake, which are currently being removed by the Revenue Department. However, among the encroachments are four temples - Nagavalliamman temple, Saibaba temple, Vinayagar temple in Ramakrishnapuram and Ayyappan temple – which have been granted a week’s time to take alternative measures. Anticipating trouble, over 200 police personnel were present during the demolition.

On Wednesday, 20 large buildings, comprising commercial establishments, temples and even a few residential units, were being demolished. The annexe buildings of these temples, including a party hall, were being removed first.

Despite the protest against the temple being demolished, the residents said that they are not really concerned about tensions flaring in their locality. “The protest was not a big one and the police were adequately prepared, and the protesters were immediately detained. There was no opposition from the public, but only from the groups with vested interests,” said Sunil Jayaram, a resident. The officials too are banking on the order by the Madras High Court directing removal of encroachments from water bodies.

Tracing the encroachment along the Chitlapakkam lake, Jayaram said, “The temples came up over the last two decades. Initially, it was a small idol atop a tree, which was converted into a concrete structure, followed by the construction of a party hall, which is rented out for functions. In addition to the lake itself, the outlet canal carrying floodwater from Chitlapakkam to Sembakkam too has been encroached by the construction of a marriage hall, right on top of the canal. 

Instead of flowing through the canal, the water inundated Chitlapakkam due to obstruction in its way to the lake.” He added that the local community had filed numerous petitions on the encroachment of the lake for the last two years.

Another resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed to the other encroachments on the lake. “On the north side of the same lake, there is the Chitlapakkam Police Station, Post Office and the Chitlapakkam Government School. Will the authorities remove these encroachments? The buildings developed on Wednesday had electricity and water connection. Without a patta (land record) and a building plan, how were these buildings provided the connections?” asked the resident.

In response, an official from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) said, “The connection was given to these buildings when they were small, ramshackle shops, for powering one light. Using political connections, such buildings get an electricity line, which just expands as the structure grows. If we got an order from the higher officials, we have to comply. If we do not, we are transferred. It is not only the EB, but also other agencies such as the Panchayat and Revenue department who are to be held accountable.”

P Viswanathan, Convenor, Chitlapakkam Residents Welfare Association Coordination Committee, said that these encroachments should have been removed in the beginning itself and not after a decade or two.