10,000 homes in old Pallavaram will be affected by ASI boundary

TOI 

Chennai: It is going to be a dull Diwali for over 10,000 homes in old Pallavaram as the ASI has announced plans to put up boundary stones after November 5.

This will make it impossible for the families to either sell their land or carry out alterations to their houses as the area comes under one of the 23 megalithic sites in Chennai. Speaking to TOI on Friday, residents who had been living there for over five decades said they were not able to conduct a wedding in the area or sell a part of their land as the area was an archaeological site. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, (AMASR) 2010, is under implementation in the area, and this restricts any activity in monuments protected by the ASI.

The high court recently directed the ASI to identify archaeological sites and constructions within 100 to 300 metres of these and submit a report to the court on November 5 after a resident of Subham Nagar petitioned the court that he could not sell his land. Residents living on the megalithic sites on the city outskirts, including Pallavaram, Tambaram and Sembakkam, are among those affected.

"We have been living here for more than five decades. We cannot sell a part of our land to get our daughters married and the land rates have plummeted due to this ban. The court and the authorities should come to our aid and end this ban," said G Vijaya, a resident.

Pallavaram is home to 34,450 people, many of whom began constructing houses in the area about two decades ago. Residents of survey numbers 56 and 63, surrounding parts of Shubham Nagar, Zameen Pallavaram, KGK Nagar and Kamakshi Nagar are among those affected.