CHENNAI: More than 100 residents from Srinivasapuram in Pattinapakkam gathered at the Santhome High Road on Thursday to protest against the poor conditions of the TNUHDB tenements in the area.
The protest followed the death of 22-year-old Sayyad Gulam Srinivasapuram on Wednesday night after a sunshade of one of the TNUHDB houses fell on him.
According to locals, the incident happened around 8:30 pm when Sayyad was returning home from work. “Sayyad had parked his bike and was walking to his home when the sunshade of one of the houses in the lane fell over his head and he fell unconscious,” said Mohammad Rafi, a Srinivasapuram resident.
"We took him to the Royapettah Government Hospital but couldn't save his life,” he added.
The residents in the area said that all the TNUHDB houses in the area are more than 50 years old. “The ceiling of most of the houses are about to fall and we are living in fear as we don't know when it might fall,” said one of the residents.
Mylapore MLA M Velu met the protesters and assured a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the family of the deceased.
Shamu M, Sayyad’s aunt, said, “ He was about to get married in 4 months. Now they have brought his lifeless body. Nobody should meet with such a fate. This should not happen to another person.”