Termed encroachers, villagers ask cops to find missing lake

VELLORE: The police in Kannamangalam on the Vellore–Tiruvannamalai border are in a fix after about 100 residents from Kumbal Kollaimedu in Kuppam village panchayat handed over a petition requesting them to locate a lake from the banks of which they were being evicted.

In the petition, the residents said Kuppam ward 9 councillor R Anitha moved the High Court seeking a direction to remove encroachments from Kudiraipanchaan and Kottaipudur lakes. Following this, Polur BDO and tahsildar ordered the residents to move from the area.

However, the complainants said, there were no lakes in the area for generations. “We have been living here for more than eight generations, but have never heard of any lake. If the officials succeed in finding the lake, we will willingly move out,” said a resident.

Local sources said the only mention about a lake in the locality dates back to 1806 during the British rule. “After that, there was no lake. The revenue department has also failed to prove the existence of the lake,” they added.

Most of the families here were provided pattas in 1990 by the then DMK government headed by M Karunanidhi. “How would they issue patta if there was any lake in the area,” questioned the residents.

Flabbergasted by this, the officials from Kannamangalam police station told the residents that they would pass on the petition to the concerned, and pacified the villagers to return.