Squatters on Cooum River evicted, places of worship demolished

Officials from various government agencies conducted a joint operation to evict encroachers and demolish two places of worship on the banks of the Cooum River in Maduravoyal. The eviction was part of an ecological restoration project for the river. The squatters were given flats in TN Urban Habitat Development Board tenements in Perumbakkam, but faced resistance and protests from residents and religious organizations. Three houses and two places of worship have been demolished, with the remaining structures set to be demolished on Saturday.