Image credit : Illustrative image

Coimbatore : After a long wait of 15 years, the city corporation officials on Tuesday started demolition of 59 houses constructed on encroached lands in Jeeva Nagar in the city.

There are nearly 260 houses constructed in the land encroached on the 1-km stretch on schemes road between Kaundampalayam and Edayarpalayam. The Corporation and Slum Clearance Board had sent notices to the owners to vacate the land and had provided alternative ones over the last 15 years.

However, majority of them refused to vacate the houses, demanding alternative houses on in the same limits so that they can continue their business and other works as the land provided was far from the city.

In this phase, 59 houses were being demolished as the owners moved to alternative houses some months ago, official sources said.

The demolition, backed by a Madras High Court order, is amidst tight police security, with officials supervising the procedure.

Residents of KK Pudur and a school located there had approached the court on demolition issue. Residents of Jeeva Nagar had been moving the court, resulting in the delay, sources said.