CHENNAI: Residents of Thillai Ganga Nagar and Jeevan Nagar in Nanganallur here staged a hunger strike on Saturday urging the CMDA and the Metropolitan Transportation Project(MTP) wing of the Southern Railway to revert to the original alignment proposed for implementation of the MRTS phase II extension project from Velachery to St Thomas Mount.
Residents of Thillai Ganga Nagar, Jeevan Nagar, Thiruvalluvar Nagar and Jyothi Gardens have been organising various protests for the past several months against the change in the MRTS alignment as their houses might be demolished.
According to residents, the original plan positioned the alignment for MRTS extension through encroached areas, government lands and a 42-foot wide canal from Devi Karumariamman temple in Nanganallur to St Thomas Mount.
However, this had been suddenly changed. “Now they have deviated up to 120 meters and have realigned the MRTS extension project. As a result, our houses in CMDA approved layouts are likely to be demolished,” said Lakshmi Narasimhan, General Secretary, Residents Welfare Association-Jeevan and Thillai Ganga Nagar.
About 70 families living in 40 buildings would be affected if the change in alignment was not reversed, he added.
“The present MRTS path is in complete deviation from all the government approved routes found in 1983 plan, 2001 RITES recommendations, CMDA’s Second Master Plan of 2008,” the Residents Association functionary stressed appealing to the authorities to implement the MRTS along the original alignment.