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Tiruvallur district authorities have appealed to the NGT for an extension in their ongoing eviction drive targeting 194 illegal structures built along Vilinjiyambakkam lake in Avadi, Chennai. Of these, 79 structures comprising 49 homes and 30 shops have already been removed. The remaining families are in the process of being relocated through government housing schemes or alternate land allocations. The lake, once spread over 100 acres, has shrunk drastically due to encroachments and untreated sewage. Although the NGT had passed eviction orders earlier, procedural delays and local resistance stalled progress. Officials now seek more time to complete the operation without displacing residents abruptly.
Authorities in Tiruvallur district have formally sought an extension from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to complete the eviction of 194 houses constructed illegally along the Vilinjiyambakkam lake in Avadi, a Chennai suburb. According to a compliance report submitted by District Collector M. Prathap, nearly 79 structures have already been removed, which include 49 residential units and 30 shops. The process of shifting the remaining residents is ongoing through coordinated efforts involving the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) and other land allocation schemes. Advertisement
This move stems from a long-standing order by the NGT, which invoked the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachment Act to restore the lake, once spread across 100 acres. Over the years, unchecked encroachments, coupled with untreated sewage flowing directly into the lake, severely compromised its water-holding capacity and environmental function. The NGT had taken up the issue back in 2021, with renewed urgency expressed in a follow-up order passed in mid-2024.
Despite these directives, ground-level implementation saw multiple hurdles. Notices had initially been sent in 2022 to around 350 occupants, but procedural delays in issuing final eviction orders and stiff resistance from settlers significantly slowed progress. Several residents claimed they had lived there for years and demanded proper rehabilitation before vacating. Officials, meanwhile, stated that many among them did not qualify for government housing and would be relocated through alternate mechanisms.
Investigations into the lake's deterioration had also pointed to negligence on the part of public agencies. A joint inspection committee had highlighted the failure of the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Avadi Municipal Corporation to prevent unauthorized effluent discharge into the lake's feeder channels. These violations, according to the report, contributed significantly to the lake's shrinking and ecological decline.
With only a part of the eviction process completed, the district administration has now approached the tribunal to seek more time, citing the need for humane relocation and better coordination between departments. The officials added that the request is not to halt the drive but to ensure that no families are left stranded without adequate housing or support.
Meanwhile, authorities are also expected to extend the encroachment review to other water bodies in Avadi, which have similarly faced environmental degradation due to unregulated urban expansion. However, with upcoming state-level elections possibly diverting administrative focus, officials are trying to expedite actions that can be realistically achieved within the political window.
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