Encroachments on watercourses comes under civic body’s lens

Acting on a slew of complaints on increasing encroachments on watercourses and drains in the city, the Tiruchi City Corporation has planned to carry out a comprehensive survey on such encroachments.

Several open drains, which were once irrigation channels, criss-cross the city. These includes channels such as the Kathan, Thotti, Vannarapettai, Virupatchipuram, Thennur Rettai, Kottai, Devadhanam and Tharanallur vaicals.

Many of these and the minor channels branching off from them have been encroached upon heavily over the years. Encroachments are blatantly visible in places such as Ramalinga Nagar and Ramalinga Nagar Extension. The channels have been blocked at many places and the network can no longer be traced as concrete structures have come up over them.

“Houses were constructed by openly blocking the waterways. Many small channels have almost become extinct in the city. It is painful to see houses constructed on channels,” M. Sekaran, a consumer activist.

Though the issue had been brought to the notice of the officials of the Tiruchi Corporation on many occasions, encroachments were very much intact for several years.

Conceding that encroachments have come up over channels at several places, a senior official of the Tiruchi Corporation told The Hindu that a comprehensive survey on the illegal construction of buildings on irrigation channels would be carried out shortly. It would be done jointly with the revenue and police officials. The matter would be taken to the knowledge of the Collector as well for a follow up action.