Express press service
TIRUCHY: Corporation officials have identified approximately 25,000 vacant lots in the city that have been poorly maintained and will soon take action against the owners. This follows repeated instructions given to landowners by Mayor Mu Anbalagan and officials regarding the upkeep of their land.
The company will place signs on these poorly maintained plots asking owners to clean rubbish and vegetation from the properties. Anbalagan had, at a recent council meeting, said that if the owners continued to ignore the company’s instructions even after seeing the board, the civic body would mark the plot for public use. Officials said their team will soon begin placing planks on poorly maintained plots in each area.
In 2019, the company took a similar step. He placed planks on several properties and many landowners promised to maintain their property. The company only removed the boards after obtaining written assurance from the owners and imposing a fine. Following this strict action, some of the landowners even fenced off their vacant plots. However, the company did not review the maintenance afterwards, which turned several vacant lots into dumps.
Officials said the company decided to take tough action as most of these vacant plots face waterlogging during the monsoon and turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Last October, the Department of Health served notice on 37 plot owners, directing them to take steps to prevent mosquito breeding on their vacant plots. Carelessly discarded waste such as cups, tires and household waste have caused a lot of inconvenience to people living near these plots.
“Society must start acting as soon as possible. Officials must also ensure that the campaign continues steadily. Otherwise, landowners will become complacent again,” said N Thangavel, a resident of KK Nagar.