Coimbatore Corporation clears V.C.V Road encroachment after 35 years

Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation demolishes long-standing encroachment, reclaiming public road and improving access for residents.

The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation demolished a privately-owned structure that encroached on the Corporation public road - V.C.V Street off Dr. Krishnaswamy Mudaliar Road, on Sunday. The structure had been an encroachment since 1961.

As a result, the 40 feet of the road was reclaimed, opening up the Northern end of the road connecting to Dr. Krishnaswamy Mudaliar Road. The demolition was overseen by a Town Planning Officer (TPO), three Assistant TPOs, and over 50 staff members. 

This action is a response to petitions submitted by the Coimbatore Joint Action Committee of Voluntary Organizations and the Anti-Corruption Movement, Coimbatore District Unit, demanding swift action from D. Karthikeyan, the Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department of Tamil Nadu.

The petitions were submitted following the Madras High Court’s dismissal of appeals made by private entities, who sought to stop the municipal authority from retrieving the 22-cent plot valued at ₹10 crores.

Following this, the CCMC issued an order to demolish the structure on April 1. However, shortly after a team of TPOs were put together for the task, the civic body retracted the order, citing the Lok Sabha election and Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as reasons for delaying action.

Residents living in lower-income households along Dr. Krishnaswamy Mudaliar Road said they welcomed the removal of the encroachment. Accessing R. S. Puram (located behind V.C.V Road) necessitated navigating through the congested Mettupalayam Road. Now, travelling to the other end of the road has become easier, they said.