CHENNAI: With the Madras High Court directing removal of beachside encroachments along the Injambakkam Beach within four weeks, the Kancheepuram district authorities have started pulling down structures in the area.
Sources said local authorities, led by Sholinganallur Tahsildar Govindarajan, launched the drive on Wednesday and recovered over 15 acres of prime land worth over Rs 100 crore, kept illegally by some politically influential people. It may be noted that Express had, in June 2009, carried a news report on how the officials were turning a blind eye on the beachside encroachments at Injambakkam.
“The officials have begun work. The district authorities dilly-dallied when the High Court directed the official machinery to remove encroachments on a previous occasion. But this time, they were forced to act,” Nature Trust founder ‘Injambakkam’ H Sekar told Express.
A local resident who waged a legal battle to retrieve the encroached land, Sekar said he is glad to see things back on track. Braving several intimidation attempts, he had filed a writ petition in the HC in 2008 seeking removal of all illegal and unauthorised constructions in survey nos 2,7, 8, 11, 12 and 15 along Injambakkam Beach.
Tahsildar Govindarajan said they had started pulling down structures along the beachfront. “The demolition drive will continue for few more days,’’ he said.