Revenue department, Tangedco helping encroachers on lakes: Activists

CHENNAI: Be it a lake-bed or poromboke land at Tirusoolam hills, electricity connections to illegal structures strengthen the ‘stay’ of squatters at these places, complain authorities of the public works department and the city corporation.
The Pallikaranai marshland, Peerkankaranai and Adambakkam tanks, Korattur and Ambattur lakes and Tirusoolam hills are among the places where such institutionalized squatting is rampant due to revenue and Tangedco authorities, say activists. The provision of electricity connection to illegally constructed structures, identified as some of the biggest polluters on water bodies, is the start of occupation in the dwelling unit concerned before raw sewage begins flowing in as there is no sewerage connection, say officials. Such pollution can be stopped only if electricity connection is denied and illegal structures remain unoccupied, they add.
At Mahalakshmi Nagar in Mettukuppam, which is part of the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai marshland, more than 400 unauthorised structures came up after power connections were provided, the officials said.
The mushrooming of encroachments including pucca houses on the Korattur lake, says founder of Korattur Aeri Padhukappu Makkal Iyakkam S Sekharan, was also due to power connections being given.
Pointing out that the power connections to some of structures on the Korattur lake were given more than a decade ago, a senior Tangedco official said some of the encroachers approached the power utility with ‘recommendations’ from members of the ruling political party of the time, while others pooled in money and bribed the officials concerned.
Now, a Tangedco superintending engineer claimed, had changed. “We provide electrical connection only based on CMDA approval. If there is no approval to an apartment complex or individual building it will not get power connection,” he said.
In recent times, the engineer said, all buildings were checked and in some cases power connections were denied of structures that were part of a water body even if CMDA had given its approval. “In the past, power connections may have been provided to buildings constructed on a water body, Such structures have been identified and notices issued, with time given for the occupants to reply. In some cases, if the reply is not satisfactory as per the rules, we have cut the power connection,” said the official.
Tangedco has also take action against its officials found to be involved in providing power connection without proper documents, he added. “In some cases, fake documents or approval are presented and officials provide connection based on them. But once we come to know it is a fake document or approval, we take action against the concerned official and also cancel the power connection,” the official said.