Residents protest against the new Metro Rail alignment
Residents staged hunger strike to protest against the new Metro Rail alignment that would lead to the demolition of their residential buildings.
Residents of Thillai Ganga Nagar and Jeevan Nagar in Nanganallur Chennai staged a hunger strike to protest against the new Metro Rail alignment. About 70 families living in 40 buildings would be affected with the new Metro Rail alignment.
According to residents, the new Metro Rail plan has deviated from original plan. As a result, their houses in CMDA approved layouts are likely to be demolished. Residents of Thillai Ganga Nagar, Jeevan Nagar, Thiruvalluvar Nagar and Jyothi Gardens have been organizing various protests for the past several months against the change in the new Metro Rail alignment.
The original plan positioned the alignment for MRTS extension through encroached areas, government lands and a 42-foot wide canal from Devi Karumariamman temple in Nanganallur to St Thomas Mount. Now they have deviated and have realigned the new Metro Rail extension project.
The residents raised slogans criticizing Southern Railway and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority for the change in the original alignment of metro rail connecting Velachery and St Thomas Mount.
According to official railway sources, connectivity to St Thomas Mount can be achieved only by acquiring the land and the project has already suffered a delay of more than five years due to protests and litigation. The project will succeed only if the government acquires the land and hands it over to the railways.
Source:
Chennai, Chennai Metro, Chennai new Metro Rail alignment, Jeevan Nagar, Jyothi Gardens, Metro Rail alignment, Nanganallur Chennai, protest against the new Metro Rail alignment, Residents protest against the new Metro Rail alignment, Thillai Ganga Nagar, Thiruvalluvar Nagar
