CHENNAI: As many as 96 unauthorised religious encroachments have been made on the pavements and roadmargins in Zone-IV of the Chennai Corporation in the Ayanavaram area alone.
This startling information relating to religious encroachments on public properties was given by the Public Information Officer and Zonal Officer-IV of the Chennai Corporation in response to an application submitted by ‘Traffic’ K R Ramaswamy under the Right to Information Act, last week. The 96 constructions obstructed the free flow of traffic and movement of the pedestrians. They did not include the small and very small temples.
Ramaswamy, a social worker, who is launching a crusade again st unauthorised constructions on streets and road margins, has filed many writ petitions in the Madras High Court in public interest, asking for directions to remove them.
And thereby, he has earned the wrath of the local people. The government has provided him a gun wielding security.
His latest target is the Needhi Amman temple located near the Aavin gate of the Madras High Court on the busy NSC Bose Road.
In this connection, he applied for all the unauthorised religious constructions in all the 10 zones in Chennai. He also requested for information about the illegal auto stands. But the Corporation Officer expressed his inability to furnish as the same came under the traffic police department.
Of the 96 in Zone-IV alone, Hindu temples accounted for 70, chur ches and mada koils accounted for 22 and four mosques. They have been in existence in these areas for periods ranging from five to 50 years.
They were mostly situated on the land belonging to the Corporation.
Vinayagars and Ammans are the only deities of almost all the Hindu temples. All the four mosques are found in Teeds Garden Cross Streets, the churches and mada koils are in Kalvaithurai, Veerasami Main Road, Bandar Garden Main Road and adjoining roads.