Several building violations have gone unchecked along the Adyar creek and a few building owners have also acquired the Adyar river bund in areas like Kotturpuram and M.R.C. Nagar during the previous DMK regime, opine confidential sources.
However, the CMDA and Chennai corporation officials are indifferent to the violations and land grab.
In the past four years, more than three dozen new buildings have come up along the Adyar river starting from Kotturpuram to M.R.C. Nagar violating the coastal regulation zone rules and the guidelines prescribed while taking up constructing activities adjoining an estuary.
Though a few encroachments and small hutments were removed to pave way for Adyar Poonga, the CMDA and Chennai corporation were evasive to other high-rise buildings that have come up in these areas, informed sources revealed.
At least a dozen new buildings, constructed by realtors and prominent politicians in the past three years, have serious violations and building plans submitted to the government departments have been violated, highly-placed sources said.
A transparent investigation into M.R.C. nagar alone would reveal large-scale building violations and the government continues to ignore these violations. Now the entire Adyar river and its rivulets are bearing the brunt. Hardly any action is taken as per existing environmental laws or CMDA rules, rued former IAS official D. Devasahayam.
“A part of Adyar estuary, including the stretch of river, was cleaned and spruced up but the other violations were ignored by the corporation and CMDA. Water bodies and canals are easy target for land mafia and a few builders with vested interests,” said Mr R. Govindaraj, joint general secretary, Exnora International.
However, when contacted, a senior CMDA official said as of now there is no investigation or enquiry pending related to illegal buildings along the Adyar river and estuary.