Chennai: District forest officials on Friday issued eviction notices to 102 encroachers residing in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, one of the five localities encroaching on Pallikaranai marshland. The squatters have been given 15 days to vacate the area and move to TNUHDB tenements in Semmenchery and Perumbakkam.A team from the Chennai district forest office, accompanied by officials from the revenue and police departments, and Greater Chennai Corporation, visited the site to serve the notices.According to forest department sources, a total of 1,067 squatters have been identified across the marshland, spread over five localities Mahalakshmi Nagar, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Quaid-E-Millath Nagar, K P Kandhan Nagar, and Kamatchi Nagar. While Mahalakshmi Nagar and Dr Ambedkar Nagar fall under Reserved Forest land, the remaining three localities are classified as reserved lands.The highest concentration of squatters was found in K P Kandhan Nagar and Kamatchi Nagar, while Quaid-E-Millath Nagar has comparatively few encroachers. Officials said most structures in these settlements are temporary, asbestos-roofed dwellings, with very few permanent buildings, which is expected to make the eviction process quicker.“This marks the second batch of evictions carried out by the department. The first batch, involving 52 squatters, was evicted in Nov 2024 and relocated to TNUHDB tenements in Semmenchery. The remaining 913 squatters identified in the marshland will be relocated and rehabilitated in subsequent phases,” said a forest official.Officials said those who voluntarily vacate and agree to rehabilitation will be provided financial assistance, transport facilities, and a shifting allowance to ease the relocation process. Additionally, GCC will supply food and water to the families for the first three days after their rehabilitation.
