Encroachments along a stretch of East Coast Road in Thiruvanmiyur, from the market area to Thiruvalluvar Nagar First Main Road, have been removed in a joint swoop-down by the J6 Thiruvanmiyur police station and Zone 13 of Greater Chennai Corporation. The team removed vegetable, fruit and flower vendors from the stretch.
C. K. Ravi, inspector, J6 Thiruvanmiyur police station, says, “To prevent vendors from returning to areas from which they have been evicted, we keep patrolling there.” Additionally, the police have cordoned off the pavements with steel barricades to prevent further encroachments.
Similarly, encroachments along Anna Main Road, an interior lane in Kalakshetra Colony, have been removed.
“Plans are under way to remove encroachments along East Mada Street and North Mada Street before the commencement of the Panguni festival at Marundeeswarar temple,” the inspector adds.
Residents of Kalakshetra Colony in Thiruvanmiyur say encroachments along pavements on the other side of the road should also be removed. Many eateries are located opposite the market and they have taken up considerable space on the footpath by gas stoves, waste bins, water cans and display boards.
“There is no space to walk on the pavements. Most of these eateries let out grey water, making the stretch slippery,” says a resident, who claims to have had a fall on the pavement on account of this problem.
