Thursday, February 17 2005 10:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The Madras High Court yesterday (Feb 16, 2005) restrained the authorities from evicting tsunami affected fisher folk who were residing in temporary shelters on pavements, at bus stops and burial grounds in the northern part of the city.

The interim restraint was ordered by a Division Bench, comprising Justice M Karpagavinayagam and Justice A R Ramalingam on a petition challenging the move of the authorities to evict them from the Anna Nagar Kuppam, close to the fishing harbour near Washermanpet and relocate them at 'Kargil Victory Nagar' far away from their original place of residence.

Even as tsunami affected families of fishermen were attending a Lok Adalat yesterday in the High Court complex, in connection with distribution of relief to victims of the tidal waves, information was received of the immediate plan to evict them from their dwellings and take them to Kargil Victory Nagar, an alternative site allotted to them by the authorities after the December 26 tsunami washed away 125 thatched huts and destroyed other structures leaving hundreds homeless.