CHENNAI: Though comparing the intensity of hardships faced by victims of calamities may seem a heartless exercise, it might be safe to say that the worst of Chennai floods is borne every year by the slum dwellers who were evacuated from various parts of the city and resettled on outskirts like Semmechery, Perumbakkam, Kannagi Nagar and Ezhil Nagar.
The irony is that these residents were rehabilitated by the authorities as part of a larger flood mitigation programme. The major dent in this rehabilitation policy of the state government might be the proximity of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) settlement sites to water bodies and floodplains.
The residents are also faced with faulty roofs and leakages in their new houses. The flood water may have receded from the settlement areas following Cyclone Michaung, but the residents’ worries are far from over. Mercy, a resident of Perumbakkam, said the residents on the top floor were forced to seek refuge in tenements on lower floors during the heavy rains. “Now, the roofs leak even during a light spell of rain. On the other hand, the residents on the ground floor were distressed as the flood water took more than three days to recede,” she added.
The people who were resettled to these areas following the deluge of 2015 are also faced with similar issues. Kowsalya of Semmechery rued that they were battling the same issues for several years now. “The officials fixed the roofs of some tenements, but a lot of work is pending,” she said.
Meanwhile, the residents of Ezhil Nagar are using tarpaulin to prevent leakages in their homes. Anandan, a resident of Ezhil Nagar told TNIE, “During the recent cyclone, the ground floor got completely inundated and the roof was leaking on the third floor. So, all the residents had huddled up in the intervening two floors.”
Activists urge the state government to finalise the rehabilitation and resettlement policy, for which a draft was released in 2021. Activist Vanessa Peter said, “The government needs to finalise the policy to ensure that resettlement activities are not carried out within ecologically sensitive zones. The ‘Resilient Urban Design Framework’ of the TNUHDB is yet to be translated, strengthened and implemented in all the housing projects.”
According to sources, the renovation work in settlement areas is being carried out in phases. An official with the TNUHDB told TNIE, “A proposal has already been sent regarding the renovation work and it will be carried out at the earliest.”