Waterbody vanishes from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority's landuse map

Chennai: 

In what could be a major goof-up on part of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, a water body in Kundrathur Village has vanished from land use map of Second Master Plan and CMDA planners have classified it as primary residential area.

And further adding to the misery of people, patta land in the same area with different survey number has been marked as a water body forcing those who have brought the land to approach CMDA to rectify it.

“I brought it to the notice of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority officials. But for the last two and a half years, no action has been taken in this regard,” says Ramesh Chelliah, whose patta land is a water body as per CMDA land use map.

“As per revenue records and litho map, my property is a primary residential zone but it has been marked as water body in CMDA’s land use map which is valid till 2026,” he said.

Interestingly, the village has a pond (madavu) in  survey number 25 but it has been marked as primary residential area in the CMDA land use map.

Chelliah says that he had approached CMDA since January 2016 and all they have to say is that the land use map is as per litho map. They also ignored that Survey number 25 is a water body and is marked as primary residential area.

“I am afraid if this is not corrected then entire state and legal machinery efforts will go in vain and people will encroach the water body,” said a concerned Chellaiah.

Interestingly,  Kanchipuram district administration, including Pallavaram Tahsildar,  have made enquiries through revenue records and have found the anomalies.

The Tahsildar is said to have sent a letter on March 2018 requesting Chennai Metropolitan Area land use map of Kundrathur Village should be rectified.

However, a CMDA official told Express that efforts are being taken to rectify such issues. “The process is lengthy and cumbersome as water body is sensitive,” said the official.

The blame lies in monopoly of certain departments by officials. Most of them continue in office trying to have hegemony over it as it has been lucrative. Even a Chief planner, to whom the issue was first raised, had retired, but still no action taken, said sources.

Chellaiah said that during his recent meeting with Chief Planner Selva Durai and another official in master plan unit, he was asked to go in for reclassification of his property.

“Reclassification is not the right option. This is purely an error while representing the village in online. This has created so much confusion among the public. I have now petitioned the member secretary to look into the issue,” said Chellaiah.