CHENNAI: Several eviction sites along the west, east and south banks of the Cooum River remain dumping sites months after being cleared of human settlements and commercial establishments.While the corporation has begun fencing work along the east bank of the river, behind the Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore , the spot conitinues to be used for dumping rexine and other material by car and motor repair shops in the area. The space along the west bank, in Chintadripet , where evictions were carried out recently, is now a depository of construction debris and other garbage.Sources in the Cooum Eco-Restoration project confirmed that in many places eviction of encroachments had been completed back in August but that the river bank had not been secured.The corporation has completed fencing along EB Link Road, securing it from further encroachment and garbage dumping. But, a visit to West Cooum Road in Chintadripet, from where several auto repair shops were removed, showed vehicles condemned as scrap and and mounds of debris still line the river bank. Even garden waste is dumped along the river, say residents of the area.“Shops and most of the houses along West Cooum Road have been razed but mounds of garbage find their way along the banks. The corporation had been advised to erect temporary fencing around the spot until a permanent structure is built in all the areas where eviction was done but no measures have been taken,” said an official involved in the Cooum Eco-Restoration project. He added that fencing began along South Cooum Road after the eviction of auto parts shops but it was stopped abruptly.The public works department, which is supposed to remove the construction debris following evictions along the West Bank Road in Chintadripet, recieved the work order only in December and work is on.

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