The Hindu 08.11.2009
Demolition drive to prevent encroachments on Valankulam
Special Correspondent
| People build huts to make themselves eligible for the tenements provided for slum dwellers |
— Photo: K. Ananthan 
Clean city: Threatened by an eviction move, people dismantle a newly put up structure on the Valankulam in Coimbatore on Saturday.
COIMBATORE: A special demolition team of the Coimbatore Corporation on Saturday removed the roof of some houses that were allegedly put up on Valankulam Tank, off Tiruchi Road. But, torrential rain stopped the drive in the afternoon. The Corporation called off the drive when the people living in the slums on the tank promised not to put up new huts.
The drive was carried out in the wake of charges that some people were putting up new huts on the tank to become eligible for the project for houses for slum dwellers. Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra had recently formed a special demolition squad to remove unauthorised structures across the city. Under the Basic Services for the Urban Poor project, the Corporation and the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board would build multi-storeyed tenements for slum dwellers encroaching water bodies. A town planning official who was part of the drive on Saturday said the Corporation had come to know that some persons were putting up structures in addition to the ones of the families listed for re-location under the scheme.
There was suspicion that this could be an attempt by ineligible persons to get a house under the project.
The Corporation’s workers removed two huts in the morning, apart from the roofs of 10 others, the official said. But, the slum-dwellers tried to stage a road blockade in protest against the drive. Later, they protested against the removal of the structures.
The Corporation official said that subsequently the slum-dwellers promised not to put up or allow any new huts to come up.
A police vigil was also being maintained to prevent any further encroachment. The action taken on Saturday would deter further encroachment, the official felt.
