30 families evicted to restore lake have no place to call home

AROUND 30 families in Madhavaram, whose homes were demolished on July 24 as part of a 43-crore project to restore 400 acres of Madhavaram lake (retteri) as a drinking water source, have accused the Water Resources Department (WRD) of unfairly evicting them without giving alternative resettlement option.

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Some of the families claimed that they even have pattas for the land on which their houses were built.

Arul C, who works at a call centre, told TNIE, "Both my parents are daily-wage labourers. We bought a piece of land from a relative 15 years ago and moved in. I have the sale deed, property tax receipts, and also a patta which was reviewed by the local MLA. Now, we are without a house." As of now, the city corporation does not collect property tax from buildings considered to be built on objectionable and poromboke lands though a proposal is under its consideration.