Over 300 residents protest eviction from Arunachala foothills in Tiruvannamalai
TIRUVANNAMALAI: Over 300 people living on the foothills of Arunachala Hills in Tiruvannamalai submitted a petition to the district Collector K Tharpagaraj against the eviction notices sent to some of them by the Tiruvannamalai Municipal Corporation and other departments last week. Notably, these petitioners belong to the same area where a massive landslide triggered by heavy rains happened in December 2024, taking seven lives.
The petitioners belonged to six wards of the Tiruvannamalai Municipal Corporation -Wards 1,6,7, 14, 24 and 26, spanning from Pachayamman Koil to Ramanashram, on the girivalam path on the Arunachala Hills.
S Parameshwari, one of the petitioners, said, "We are the third and fourth generation people living here. This is where I was born. My family has been living here since my grandparents' time. Even if they cut the water connection or electricity, we will not leave. Even if we die, we will die there. Most of us are domestic workers, and our livelihood is dependent on this area."
The petitioners also asked why they were then provided with all the facilities in the first place. Radha M, another petitioner, asked, "Where was this government 40 years back? Why did they give us electricity, water, ration cards, roads, if this was a hill poramboke area?"
A survey by the revenue department has identified 1,535 houses as illegal and constructed on government land. The demolition of these houses is proposed to be completed in phases.
Last week, eviction notices were sent to 143 houses. According to officials, the initiative is also aimed at preventing landslides, especially in light of the upcoming monsoon. As per sources, initially, the water connection will be cut following which electricity will also be disconnected.
In June 2025, the Madras High Court had directed the district collector to file a report on the action initiated for removing the 1,535 illegal constructions raised atop the hill. The directions were issued while hearing pleas filed by advocate 'Elephant' Rajendran, praying for action to steer clear the temple city of encroachments.