Wed Dec 04 02:09:10 UTC 2024: ## Chennai to Resume Encroachment Evictions After Monsoon Delay
**CHENNAI, December 4, 2024** – The eviction of buildings encroaching on water bodies and poromboke lands in Chennai and surrounding areas is set to resume. A State Steering Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, will meet on Wednesday to review the progress of evictions delayed due to administrative reasons. The meeting was postponed before the onset of the Northeast monsoon in October.
The committee will focus on enforcing court orders to prevent flooding. Numerous structures, including apartments, hospitals, and commercial buildings, have been identified as encroachments in areas like Velachery, Taramani, Sholinganallur, and Valasaravakkam.
Chennai Corporation has already undertaken a major water body restoration project in south Chennai to mitigate flood risks, including desilting culverts and removing temporary structures covering 13,800 square meters near Velachery and Taramani. However, the corporation has also identified numerous permanent structures, such as apartment buildings and hospitals, built on encroached land, and plans to issue eviction notices. Similar encroachments, reducing the size of water bodies like Singaperumal Koil Lake, also await action.
With the committee’s decision expected this week, eviction efforts are poised to begin, addressing concerns about flooding and restoring water bodies to their original capacity.
First Piper 