Gudapakkam, a village located close to the Tiruvallur High Road, around 13 km from Poonamallee, had a population of only 666 families in 2001, according to the census data.
The demographic profile of this sleepy village, with an adjacent reserve forest, was to dramatically change over the next couple of decades, with an almost four-fold increase in the number of families. The drastic change was not due to a voluntary influx of people, but because the village was made a site for resettlement of families evicted from their encroached dwellings in areas like Porur, Aminjikarai, Ramapuram, Mogappair, Villivakkam and Maduravoyal, all of which are located at least 25 km away.
The first wave of resettlement took place in 2006 when 2,000 families, evicted from near the Porur lake, were allotted small plots of land in a new uninhabited area in the village, christened as Collector Nagar. However, not many moved here because of lack of amenities and livelihood opportunities. Census 2011 showed the number of families had nearly doubled to 1,275 from 2001.
