CHENNAI: Around 30 families in Madhavaram, whose homes were demolished on July 24 as part of a Rs 43-crore project to restore 400 acres of Madhavaram lake (retteri) as a drinking water source, have accused the Water Resources Department (WRD) of unfairly evicting them without giving alternative resettlement option. Some of the families claimed that they even have pattas for the land on which their houses were built.
Arul C, who works at a call centre, told TNIE, “Both my parents are daily-wage labourers. We bought a piece of land from a relative 15 years ago and moved in. I have the sale deed, property tax receipts, and also a patta which was reviewed by the local MLA. Now, we are without a house.”
As of now, the city corporation does not collect property tax from buildings considered to be built on objectionable and poromboke lands though a proposal is under its consideration.
Residents said a notice was put up by authorities on July 22 and evictions began at 6am on July 24, leaving them no time to even salvage their belongings.
The Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) that flagged the issue in its report said, “They were rendered homeless in a day. Their livelihood and education of children have been affected. Few of the families have moved to rented houses and many are residing with their relatives, friends etc.”
These families have several documents and they have receipts for property tax paid initially to Madhavaram Municipality and later to the Greater Chennai Corporation. On 1 August 2024, the families visited the Chennai district collectorate and submitted a petition requesting for alternative houses. They were not able file the petition immediately after the eviction as their priority was to safeguard and provide shelter for women and children, the report said.
When contacted, WRD officials said that resettlement would not be provided to informal settlements along tanks as per a court order in the VBR Menon case. “There are provisions for alternative resettlement only in case of evictions along the Cooum and Adyar under the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust,” the official said.
Vanessa Peter, founder of IRCDUC, said, “Citing court orders, families are arbitrarily evicted without following minimum standards violating principles of human rights and social justice.” Activists also claimed that while there have been instances in the past of the government offering resettlement for settlements along lakes and other waterbodies, the claim that those residing along tanks need not be resettled would stand in the way of equality.