CHENNAI: Heated words were exchanged between corporation staff and migrant workers at a shelter in Mogappair West. The issue at hand was the lack of sufficient drinking water, but the underlying frustration was the endless wait to get back home.
The conflict began at 8pm. At least 15 residents, all natives of Bihar, had decided to forgo dinner in protest. Guddu Kumar of Jahanabad in Bihar says he has been at the shelter, run by the corporation, for a week. Eight of those who protested with him have walked all the way to Chennai from Karaikudi, with the assistance of a few media professionals.
Another group from Assam has been waiting for 10 days. Kiran Devi of Basti in Uttar Pradesh arrived in Chennai on March 14 for surgery. She has shifted to this shelter four days ago from rooms in Manali. Showing her medicine pouch, she says she’s running out of stock — including of her diabetes pills — and has no money to buy more.
However, the most common complaint was a lack of access to drinking water. Officials said the shelter houses 74 residents, the youngest an eight-month-old baby.
While Express found the toilets somewhat clean with running water, all the drinking water cans were empty at 8.30pm. Corporation Bill Collector Jaishankar alleged residents were hoarding water or using it to “bathe”. Residents refuted these charges.
Matters came to a head with the arrival of assistant revenue officer Suryabanu — a Hindi-speaker — who tried to explain the delay in them being sent home.
“We have listed all your names and sent it. Beyond that it is a matter between State governments and higher officials,” she said, as men and `women crowded around her to peer at the list on her mobile phone.
However, she dismissed their complaints on water, echoing Jaishankar’s allegations.
“We give 30 cans of 20 litres each a day,” she said, showing Express the bills. Residents insisted they were only given six cans.
“They think that if they make trouble like this we will get fed up and send them quickly,” claimed Suryabanu, adding some had tried to leave the previous day on hearing there was a train to Bihar.
“They want us to let them out on the streets. Will they get food and water on the streets?” When contacted, Corporation Deputy Commissioner for Revenue and Finance Meghanath Reddy said the Corporation was trying to send people home, however, due to the unexpected arrivals of migrants from districts it was getting harder to anticipate and allocate seats on trains.
“We are getting 400-500 people from the districts every day,” he said, adding that surprise inspections at shelters were taking place daily and he would look into the complaint regarding drinking water.