CHENNAI: The water situation in the tail end blocks in the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenements in Perumbakkam have worsened, leaving residents contemplating vacating the premises.
The tail end blocks including 65 and 66, barely receive four pots of water per household once every two days. Dirty clothes and vessels have piled up to the extent that residents use slushy water from pipe leaks in other blocks to wash vessels and clothes.
"When my son comes home from school, I get him to take off his uniform. I then dry it under the fan and get him to wear it again the next day. He has exams going on now but he hasn't been able to bathe in a week," said Radhika S, a resident of block 65.
Radhika's family purchases cans for Rs 35 each even for restroom purposes. "Sometimes, I get angry when my sons ask to use the restroom too often. I'm so frustrated that I yell at them for wanting to use the restroom," she added. On Sundays, she convinces her husband to take them to the mall so her family can wash their faces and use the restrooms.
Thirty-six-year old Vasanthi's (name changed) daughter hit puberty last week. "I sent my son to draw water directly from the sump because there was absolutely no water at home. Sometimes, the sump is also almost empty and we make do with the muddy water at the bottom," she said. "We are thinking of all the options we have including moving out," she added.
There are 13,000 families living in the Perumbakkam TNSCB tenements. Blocks 65 and 66 together house 196 families. "The blocks at the entrance don't have water troubles like we do," said Swaminathan S, another resident.
When Express visited the spot, most overhead tanks were empty. Each tank is connected to two houses. Residents said that they didn't know whom to approach to make water related complaints.
When contacted, slum clearance board officials said that they have not received any such complaints so far. "But we will inquire and make sure the issue is solved," the official said.