CHENNAI: Citing that Dalit and Adivasi settlements in several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu are facing disproportionate risks from floods, cyclones and extreme heat due to poor infrastructure and their location in low-lying areas, activists have sought a dedicated climate-justice policy for the marginalised communities. Following a consultation with activists from across the state, NGOs working in related fields recently submitted a charter of 16 demands to Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu in this regard.
In the charter, Comprehensive Society for Community Development Organisation (COSCO), in collaboration with National Dalit Watch of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, said caste-based spatial segregation had pushed several SC and ST habitations into environmentally fragile areas.
The organisations identified vulnerable settlements across Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Kancheepuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari, where they said inadequate drainage, drinking water, sanitation and healthcare infrastructure increased the impact of disasters and worsened inequalities.
They also highlighted the role of sanitation workers, many of whom belong to Dalit communities, in restoring public spaces after disasters, while lacking adequate occupational safety.
Among their short- and long-term demands is a state-supported programme to train youth in vulnerable coastal settlements in swimming, flood rescue and evacuation.