KV Navya By Express News Service CHENNAI: N the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2015, experts pointed out that the disaster was waiting to happen as the city had been encroaching upon lake beds, flood plains and natural waterways for decades. Virtually uncontrolled construction had left scores of citizens trapped in houses and high-rises, with residents of the city’s southern suburbs among the worst affected.Five years later, it is obvious that lessons have not been learnt. Express did a deep dive into the situation at just two southern suburbs — Kovilambakkam and Pallikaranai — and discovered, from official data accessed through RTIs, that close to 234 acres of lake bed, with land worth over `4,000 crore, had been encroached upon in these areas alone. Both localities have at least six key water bodies, including Pallikaranai Periya Eri, Sunnambu Kolathur lake, Narayanapuram lake and the Pallikaranai marsh. The Pallikaranai marsh is an ecologically sensitive habitat of migratory birds. Data documents daylight robbery To identify the scale of encroachment, Express compared Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s (CMDA) maps from 2008 with current maps. This revealed 160 acres of lake bed in Pallikaranai and 58 acres of lake bed in Kovilambakkam had been encroached upon. Moreover, data from a survey undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD) and obtained through the Right to Information Act, showed all encroached areas near lake beds. The data showed that 25 grounds of Narayanapuram lake (Survey No. 118), 125 grounds of Puthu Thangal (Survey No. 627), 254 grounds of Sitheri (Survey No. 485/1), 1,544 grounds of Periya Eri (Survey No. 303) and 954 grounds of Pallikaranai marsh (Survey No 657) have been encroached upon in the Pallikaranai area. Similarly, in Kovilambakkam, 118 grounds of Narayanapuram lake (Survey No. 385), 120 grounds of Sitheri (Survey No. 402/1), 468 grounds of Sunnambu Kolathur lake (Survey No. 429), 341 grounds of Kovilambakkam Thangal (Survey No. 127) have been encroached upon. Apart from this, 740 grounds of land classified as Government Poromboke land (Survey No. 435) have been completely taken over. The Revenue Department’s A Register, in fact, has details on the encroachments, listing survey numbers and names of the encroachers. Yet, no action appears to have been taken. Worse, Express found a business of selling housing plots on the lake bed thriving in both localities. ‘10 people have come to buy land’ Posing as prospective buyers, Express found all it took to buy land on a lake bed was a few inquiries in the localities which led to residents, affiliated with political parties, who claim to be the owners of the land. They promise to sell plots on the lake bed for a few lakh rupees, when real estate value of land in these areas ranges from `1-2 crore per ground. Express found the encroachers came from different socio-economic groups, ranging from working class families of domestic workers and carpenters, plumbers, electricians to IT company and MNC employees. Crammed into the tiny streets around Pallikarnai Periya Eri, are more than 15,000 matchbox-sized houses that have come up in the last 20 years and slowly eaten into the lake bed. Although a PWD map from 2008 shows the lake as beginning near Vyasar street on Velachery main road, there is no sign of water.According to government records, about 1,544 grounds of land has been encroached here (Survey No. 303). After navigating past hundreds of homes, restaurants and other establishments, finally some water is seen. However, the water is green from sewage being let into the lake and garbage being disposed into it. “Are you looking to buy some land? Come in summer. Half of the lake will be dry and you will get a good chunk of land for a low price,” says a woman who emerges from a two-storeyed building near the foot of the existing lake. Express asks how to buy land here and when she bought her house. “It has been seven years. A local official helped us and we bought quarter of a ground for `2 lakh. However, we had to buy soil worth almost `4 lakh to cover the lake bed before building the house. We asked if we will get a patta but the official said nobody here has patta and promised us no issues will arise due to this. You should contact him,” she suggests. “Come as soon as summer begins or the land prices will increase. At least 10 people came here asking for land in the recent past,” she adds as the Express team turns to leave.Other residents provide similar information, some while complaining about the poor civic amenities. “Politicians only come during elections. There is neither proper garbage collection nor a drainage system. Officials ask us to keep quiet, saying we are living here illegally without patta,” says a woman in her early 50s. Pro: cool breeze, Con: flooding Near Pallikaranai marsh (Survey No. 657), a man, who has lived here for eight years, says encroachments happen in two stages: “First people buy a small piece of land for `1 lakh or less, depending on the seller, and build a small house with a thatched roof. After a few years, they convert the house into a one or two-storeyed concrete building.” On an average, each person owns three houses here with a double bedroom house having a rental value of `7-9,000. “The only issue is that whenever it rains, houses get flooded. Otherwise, we can raise the rent. More people are showing an interest in renting houses here as it is peaceful and the breeze is cooler because of the waterbody,” says a house owner. ‘You want patta or poromboke?’ Flooding is not a problem near Sunnambu Kolathur lake where over 400 grounds have been encroached. The land sellers here claim the water level never rises even during rains, as they have poured enough soil around the lake to stop it from brimming.As Express asks about plots for sale in the area, a man in a white shirt and dhoti emerges. He claims to be affiliated with a political party and says he is the best land broker in the area. “Do you want patta or poromboke land? Patta costs up to `2 crore and this poromboke land (referring to the lake bed) costs between `2 lakh to `50 lakh,” he says. Asked if the buyer would receive documents for poromboke land, he says, “We will give it to you in writing on stamp paper. They are proper documents and nobody will bother you after you buy the land.” The broker charges much less for the plots near the lake than for the ones further away. He also urges Express to buy the land soon as he anticipates a spike in demand in summer. “A lot of people claim this to be a patta land and sell it for more than `50 lakh. Do not get conned. This is only poromboke land and I am the best dealer you can find here,” he warns. Indeed, more than a dozen people claimed the land to be patta land while trying to sell Express the plots while just a few said it was poromboke land. ‘Not aware of such sales’ An official from the PWD said the department could only take action if the government or court directed them to dox so. The official said PWD had details on encroachments on all water bodies in South Chennai.CMDA member secretary Dr D Karthikeyan said he was not aware of the issue and that such sales were blatant violations. “Public can check our official layout before buying houses or can approach us at our office in Egmore. We will look into this issue,” he said. Water body gobbled Data accessed by Express through the Right to Information Act shows that a whopping 1,544 grounds of Periya Eri (Survey No. 303) have been encroached upon in the Pallikaranai area. Buildings over birds As many as 954 grounds of the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai marsh (Survey No. 657) have been encroached upon over the years. The marsh is significant for being a habitat for migratory birds.

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