Coimbatore city municipal corporation (TOI File Photo)
COIMBATORE: Racing against time to complete the lake rejuvenation projects, the city corporation has fast-tracked the drive to evict encroachments along the waterbodies in its limits.
After removing seven small temples that were built encroaching the eastern bund of Muthannnakulam earlier this week, the civic body demolished about 76 houses close to Krishnampathy lake on Thursday.
The houses at Gokulam Colony at Pappanaickenputhur were there for years and the demolition exercise was launched after allotting alternative housing to the residents in tenements built by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.
However, the residents resisted the move and demanded they be allowed to stay there. Officials held multiple rounds of talks, but in vain. Eventually, the officials disconnected the power supply and went ahead with the demolition, despite the people’s objection.