Sri Kapaleeswarar Nagar Residents Welfare Association swears by a book, and it duly presents of copy of it to any plot owner in Sri Kapaleeswarar Nagar who is all set to start a construction on his piece of land. It’s a copy of Tamil Nadu Combined Development & Building Rules.
“Whenever a new building is about to be constructed in our colony we approach the owner and hand over a copy of this rule book and request them to adhere to it. We emphasise that they leave setbacks (vacant spaces) on the front, sides and rear sections of the building, based on the measurements specified in the rule book.
These vacant spaces are necessary for rainwater recharge. . Moreover, in the case of a fire breakout, the chance of the fire spreading to the next building is low, if setbacks are in place. Following the rules also enhances the aesthetics of the colony (as it it is located in the coastal Neelankarai on East Coast Road, this is a vital factor). We keep a vigilant eye on such violations in our colony,” says M. Siva Kumar Muthulingam, president of the association. In 2015, the Association took up one such violation to the notice of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Greater Chennai Corporation. “One of the house owners built a third floor on his building which was in violation of the rules. We took the issue to the authorities concerned, and it had to be fought in the court and according to the verdict, the third floor had to be demolished.
The judge who handled this case appreciated us for being a proactive association. In the same year, 19 other violation cases were taken up and the Corporation sealed those buildings and later the plot owners made the necessary changes. We continue to do this work,” says Siva Kumar.