Houses razed without consent, say Moolakothalam residents

Even five days after a demolition drive by authorities razed dozens of homes along Basin Bridge Road, the shock is still visible on the face of V. Sumathi — a long-time resident of the “Milk Depot” settlement in Moolakothalam.

She rushed from work on July 29 to find her house,  reduced to rubble. “I never signed any document agreeing to accept a house elsewhere. So how can they demolish my home without my consent. Under what law is this even allowed,” asked Ms. Sumathi.

The settlement, locally known as Paal (Milk) Depot, lies opposite the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Zone V office in Moolakothalam in Old Washermanpet. Residents, primarily cattle-rearers who have lived there for generations, still keep cows and sell milk for their livelihood.

On July 29, officials from the Chennai Corporation, accompanied by police personnel, arrived at the site. Residents were told to vacate their homes, their belongings were placed outside, and demolitions began.

According to residents, the eviction process began earlier with an enumeration of families and the allotment of housing units in the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenements built in Moolakothalam. However, several families refused to relocate, demanding patta for the land they have lived on for decades.

M.D. Saravanan, another resident, questioned the rationale behind the eviction, pointing out that the area was not a waterbody and was originally allocated by the British for cattle maintenance. He added that the TNUHDB housing is poorly constructed and a haven for anti-social elements.

According to the Regional Deputy Commissioner (North), there were 187 families in the settlement during the enumeration in 2024. “Some families requested TNUHDB tenements. Since the land belongs to the Corporation and we had vacancies, those who were interested came forward and paid the initial installment. So far, 63 families have paid. Others are slowly coming forward,” he said, adding that the land has been earmarked for an upcoming CMDA project.

Activists, however, condemned the eviction, calling it arbitrary and inhuman. J. Sebastian, social worker part of the People’s Committee for the Right to Livelihood, criticised the DMK government for delaying the issuance of pattas, and said that doing so makes evictions easier and sidesteps legal protections.

He said that the eviction process was unlawful, as it was carried out without proper notice, legal procedure, or the consent of those affected.

In a statement, the Urban Housing Land Rights Federation said, “We urge the government to immediately stop its selective demolitions that target only the encroachments of the poor, while turning a blind eye to large universities, hospitals, and commercial complexes that have encroached upon water bodies, causing floods during the rainy season and destroying essential water sources.”