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Civic body protests tree-cutting

Friday, 08 November 2013 04:25 administrator
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The Hindu             08.11.2013

Civic body protests tree-cutting

MysteryA massive avenue tree in Vyasarpadi was chopped down on Wednesday night by unknown persons. Residents said the tree posed no danger to anybody —Photo: V. Ganesan
MysteryA massive avenue tree in Vyasarpadi was chopped down on Wednesday night by unknown persons. Residents said the tree posed no danger to anybody —Photo: V. Ganesan

The Chennai Corporation on Thursday filed a complaint with the police to identify and take action against those who chopped down a massive avenue tree on B.B. Road in Vyasarpadi. This is the first instance of such a complaint being lodged in the civic body’s current council.

In its complaint, the Corporation noted that the tree was chopped on Wednesday night, in what is possibly an overnight operation.

The tree, measuring around 3 feet in diameter on the footpath, was removed without obtaining orders from the Corporation Commissioner.

Residents in the area said the tree did not pose any risk to motorists or pedestrians.

“Some persons have removed it at night without our knowledge. Police are yet to identify the persons responsible,” a Corporation official said.

An MTC bus conductor from the neighbourhood said: “The tree was very old and in good shape. It was useful as it was large and offered a lot of shade. I saw some persons cutting the tree down with a mechanical saw on Wednesday around 11 p.m.”

“The tree was not in dangerous condition,” said Kannan, a resident of the area. “We want officials to take action against the persons concerned.” Rathinam, a shopkeeper in the locality, said the tree was not a hindrance to business.

Hasmuk and Co., a pawn shop, stands right behind where the tree stood until Wednesday.

Its owner, Sunil, denied allegations that he was behind the removal of the tree. “We did not remove the tree. We did not request the Chennai Corporation to remove the tree either,” he said.

When contacted on Thursday night, the councillor for ward 45, J.K. Irudhaya Rani, said she was not aware of the felling of the tree.

“Our officials will investigate. The residents did not request the removal of the tree. I did not ask anyone to remove the tree,” she said.

 

Pondy Bazaar gets a new deal

Thursday, 07 November 2013 11:46 administrator
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The Times of India          07.11.2013 

Pondy Bazaar gets a new deal

Pondy Bazaar, usually bustling with determined shoppers, had a different set of equally resolute visitors on Wednesday — police and corporation officials who came with bulldozers to clear the shops that had lined both sides of Theagaraya Road for more than three decades.

The Chennai Corporation evicted 96 hawkers from Pondy Bazaar on Theagaraya Road. Less than 12 hours after the corporation's deadline for the hawkers to move into a three-storeyed building expired, the officers moved in. Most of the shopkeepers cooperated with them, and began carting the products away.

Except for a group of 12 flower sellers, who begged the officers for more time, the rest moved out. Fourteen vendors who protested against their shops being removed were not allotted space in the hawkers' complex. "We have told them to move to Deendayalan Street temporarily," said a corporation official.

Many of the hawkers had started moving off the street on Tuesday night. They began dismantling their wooden stalls when they saw the police arrive. "We will do what the corporation says. They were nice enough to extend the deadline three times," said Bukkran Mohammed, who has been selling readymade clothes here since 1972.

Though all the shops were cleared by Wednesday noon, many hawkers were seen sitting in little groups confiding their fears and consoling one another. "The products we sell are stuff that catch the eye and tempt people to buy at the spur of the moment," said S Gani, who has been running a toy shop for a little over seven years. "People are unlikely to come into a complex like this and hunt for our products."

The hawkers said that the building is badly designed and unsafe. "The corridors are less than threefeet wide. Only two people can walk together at a time," said Mohammed, who also had an Indian clothes store. "We were allotted 5ftx5ft of space, but each of us gave up half a foot to make the corridors wider," he said.

"There are only four exits and the corridors are too narrow for people to escape if there is an emergency," said K Jothi, vice-president of Pondy Bazaar Hawkers' Association.

Around 300 shops were ready on Wednesday evening, said B Karunanidhi, general secretary, Federation of Small Traders' Associations. "The work on all 529 shops will be completed only when every shopkeeper has the finances to complete the work," he said. The complex will house 629 shops of which 100 on the ground floor will be occupied by the flower, vegetable and fruits market.

Shopkeepers said they had to spend Rs 22,000 to Rs 30,000 to get their shops ready. "We have to get the shutters, steel posts, separators, wiring, electric meters and other things," said Gani.

 

Corporation’s dismal track record worries vendors

Thursday, 07 November 2013 11:42 administrator
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The Times of India          07.11.2013 

Corporation’s dismal track record worries vendors

Even as many shop owners and commuters welcomed Pondy Bazaar's new look, there was an air of scepticism. Going by the Chennai Corporation's success rate with evictions, the question on everyone's mind was, "For how long?"

In the past, the civic body evicted vendors from E V R Periyar Salai, Central Station, Park Station, Egmore Railway Station and Purusawalkam High Road. The vendors were allotted shops in the new Moore Market complex. New hawkers have taken their places on the same streets. In many cases, the evicted hawkers return. In 2012, the civic body evicted 80 hawkers from NSC Bose Road. They returned in a week. In 2009, the civic body tried evicting around 150 hawkers from Usman Road and moving them to Corporation Lane nearby. The hawkers returned a week later.

The hawkers are also perturbed by the corporation's dismal track record. "We agreed to comply with the court order and move inside the building, but in return the corporation should ensure that others don't set up stalls here," said Sait Sayed Ibrahim, secretary of Pondy Bazaar Hawkers' Federation. They said customers will be forced to enter the complex to shop only if they don't have other options on the streets.

Owners of shops in buildings are scared of cheering too soon. "The number of shops grew through bribes. They may bribe officials again and return in a month," said A Mohammed, who runs a clothes store.

The doubting Thomases could take comfort from one of the corporation's most successful eviction drives in 2008. The civic body cleared 100 fisherwomen from the pavements of Seventh Avenue in Besant Nagar. They closed the market that had been there for more than two decades and moved them to places near Odiamanagar Kuppam. 

 
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