CHENNAI: Residents of the Rani Anna Nagar Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenements continue to live in fear of the walls caving in on them as the proposed reconstruction of the buildings has not seen the light of day yet.
Rani Anna Nagar is one of the many TNUHDB scheme areas in Chennai that are proposed for reconstruction. Many residents fear that the structures would not be able to withstand the upcoming monsoon season due to its bad condition.
Dhanalakshmi (65), who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, lives with her daughter in Rani Anna Nagar. Three months ago, on a rainy night, she woke up screaming as a chunk of concrete from the ceiling fell on her leg. “Every day since that day I am living in constant fear of the house collapsing,” she said. Recalling the incident Dhanalakshmi said, “I moved here in 1982. I have lived in the same house for 40 years. Now and then a piece of the ceiling falls. It is scary, but we don’t have any place to go.”
“Many flats in the area are in a similar condition,” said A Kasinadhan, president of the Rani Anna Nagar Residents Welfare Association. The 896 flats in 22 blocks of the tenements were proposed for reconstruction by the TNUHDB in December 2021. The board issued notice to the residents to vacate in January 2022. A consultation meeting was held in the presence of Virugambakkam MLA Prabhakar Raja on August 18, 2022. The old houses are constructed on of 230 sq ft and new houses are proposed on 420 square feet.
Residents said that even after a year of the meeting, no progress was made. Kasinadhan told TNIE, “Initially, the government proposed to collect a higher amount as beneficiary contribution. After protests, the beneficiary contribution was fixed at Rs 1.5 lakh. Now we are being told that for Rs 1.5 lakh only 320 sq ft will be constructed. We have not received any official communication. Notice has been sent by the board stating that continuing to live in these houses is at our own risk and the board won’t be held responsible. We are ready to move out, but the sustenance amount has not been given to us. We are afraid that the buildings will not survive the monsoon onslaught, he added.
An engineer with the TNUHDB told TNIE, “Rani Anna Nagar is a huge project. A proposal has been sent to the government and funding approval is awaited. Once approval is granted, work will begin. Beneficiary contributions will be finalised when orders are issued.”