44 unauthorised bridges built over irrigation channel demolished

A total of 44 unauthorised bridges built across an irrigation distribution channel in Tirunelveli Town were demolished on Wednesday.

There were total of 55 buildings including several houses, commercial establishments and four marriage halls, situated on the other side of Madhar Khan Vaikkaal, a distribution channel of Nainarkulam, along South Mount Road in ward 27 of Tirunelveli Corporation. Hence, owners of the buildings had built small bridges across the 15-foot-wide waterway to connect South Mount Road and their buildings. For some of the buildings, it was the only way to reach their buildings from South Mount Road.

After a case was filed in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking direction to demolish the bridges, the court, treating the unauthorised structures as encroachments causing flooding during heavy downpour, directed the district administration, the Corporation and the Public Works Department to demolish the bridges.

While 11 bridges were removed by the building owners on receiving notice from the Public Works Department, the remaining 44 0were demolished on Wednesday with police protection.

Owners of the buildings whose unauthorised bridges had been removed were advised to erect temporary steel bridges after getting permission from the PWD.