Ooty heritage church land dug out for road widening

UDHAGAMANDALAM: The highways department has been clearing encroachments,

including residential houses

, commercial establishments and footpaths while broadening

NH67

that runs through

Ooty

town. In the process, a part of the land on which the St. Stephen's Church,

one of the oldest in Ooty

, stood too has been dug out. The land has been levelled to the road height with an earth mover.

Fr Ramesh Babu, pastor, St. Stephen's Church, told TOI, “When we came to know that a part of our land was sliced off by the highways department while broadening the highway, we brought the matter to the notice of the department and the district administration. The road broadening work has been stopped at this location. While surveying of our land as per our document, it was discovered that the highways department had encroached 4 to 5 feet into our land. We objected to their action.”

When contacted, Kuzhanthairaju, assistant divisional engineer, State Highways (NH Wing) told TOI, “The damage to the church property was done by oversight. The damage was only to an extent of 2ft running to a short distance. The dispute between the management of the church and the department has been settled amicably. We will be constructing a

revetment

wall in compensation and their land will be spared.”

However, Fr Ramesh Babu said, "Our land falls under the agri-zone in the town. According to the highways department, compensation to our sliced land would fetch less as the guideline value is less for agri-zone. Hence, they came out with another option of constructing a revetment wall through the line where the land was sliced to the road level.

The department has taken the responsibility. But we will be losing a portion of our land to the department as we cannot bring the land to the original level. The backyard and the side portion of the church house graveyards of many personalities of the colonial era.”


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