COIMBATORE, INDIA, August 12, 2021 (various sources): Hinduism Today received a report dated July 15, 2021 of seven Hindu temples being demolished in Coimbatore at Kumarasamy Nagar:
According to the above report, “The seven Hindu Temples were surreptitiously demolished at 6am in the morning on Tuesday at Kumarasamy Nagar in Coimbatore under the garb of removing encroachments along eastern bund of Muthannankulam tank. The Municipal Corporation in Coimbatore is carrying out a drive to pave the path for lake rejuvenation and restoration projects near Selvampathy and Kumarasamy lakes at a cost of 31.25 crore. Under the demolition drive, the corporation demolished 2400 houses, which were empty as alternative homes were provided for residents before demolition.”
These are not the first temples demolished in the area. September, 23, 2020 report on Facebook shows a video of a Siva Temple being demolished:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=790898691679954
A February 7, 2020 report from Times of India details the demolition of five temples with court approval:
“The city corporation demolished five temples on the Link Road at Jeeva Nagar near Kavundampalayam on Thursday based on the directions of the Madras high court. ‘After a long battle, the corporation had demolished the houses that were encroaching on the road a few months ago. But it did not clear the temples and some other private encroachments on the road. The building had to be removed to lay road. So, we sought the intervention of the court,’ said Sumathi, president of the KK Pudur Women’s Association, who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) a couple of months ago. When the case came up for hearing on January 28, the court directed the civic body to remove the encroachments and lay the road before February 18. A corporation official said that officials of the town planning wing surveyed the land to identify the extent of encroachments and removed five temples. ‘We have prepared estimate to lay the road and fund has also been allotted,’ he said. The KK Pudur Welfare Association had filed a writ petition in HC a decade ago stating that the 70-feet Link Road was encroached. As a result, emergency service vehicles including ambulances and water tenders could enter the street. The court had passed directions in favor of the association in 2017.”