CHENNAI: Visitors to a popular mall in Koyambedu have been paying Rs 30 to park their vehicles at ‘private parking’ spaces not knowing that these illegal parking spaces are Cooum river bed.
Some residents of Pillayarkoil street took up this ‘lucrative’ business of providing parking spaces after a new mall came up in the area some months ago. Tin sheds are put up at the entrance and two-wheelers are allowed entry into the space for parking.
When Express visited the spot, at least three parking areas were found in the stretch that has been demarcated by the Public Works Department (PWD) as ‘coming under the Cooum’s right of way’ and is scheduled for eviction soon.
Das (name changed), the ‘owner’ of one such parking space said, “If they park in the mall, they will have to pay on an hourly basis. Here, we just charge them `10 for the first hour and over one hour it would cost Rs 30. They can park the vehicle here for the whole day for just Rs 30.”
On Sunday, over a hundred two-wheelers were parked in Das’s parking space and some vehicles were even parked on his house verandah. “We make around Rs 2,000 - Rs 3,000 a day,” he said. When asked on pattas for the parking space, Das declined to answer.
A few weeks ago, visitors to the mall were charged to park on vacant spaces along the roads, said locals.
A government official involved with the Cooum restoration project said that the area has been marked as ‘coming under Cooum’s right of way’ by PWD and that it was illegally being used for parking.
“This spot also comes under the Satyasai Nagar area where evictions are scheduled to take place,” official added.