The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will deploy All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) on beaches like Besant Nagar, Marina, and Loop Road to enforce garbage disposal regulations, prevent encroachments, and monitor beach cleanliness. This initiative follows the corporation’s recent crackdown on encroachments, including the removal of over 50 encroachments from Besant Nagar beach and 40 squatters from Pondy Bazaar roads.
The Eastern bypass road project in Chennai, spanning from Perungalathur to Rajakilpakkam, has encountered a roadblock due to encroachments on government lands. Approximately 188 houses built on Meikkal poromboke, graama natham, and eri poromboke lands must be relocated to allow for the completion of the project. The residents, including members of the Narikurava community, have demanded alternative housing, while the government has submitted proposals to the local administration to address their concerns. However, there is no provision for rehabilitation costs, as the lands in question belong to the government and can only be alienated. The 9.3-km bypass, which has been planned since 1979, includes an 850-meter stretch affected by the encroachments and a 650-meter stretch of land belonging to the Forest Department that needs to be acquired. Alternative land for the latter has been identified, and the project is awaiting approval from the state government.
