How the Vyasarpadi community joined hands to rise from the rubble
During a catastrophe, what matters the most isn’t always monetary or materialistic support. It’s the humanitarian assistance that is vital. In Udhayasuriyan Nagar, Vyasarpadi, when a fire broke out on May 26, spreading rampantly, and turned around 24 houses into ruins in no time, this kind of support came not from far-off institutions, but from within — neighbours, friends, and a tuition centre, Vyasai Thozhargal.
Residents and police inquiries suspect that a gas leak from the locality could have propelled the fire; others blame faulty wiring. However, confirmed data hasn’t been released yet; the investigation is underway. What everyone remembers vividly is how fast the flame spread on to the branches and leaves; and now, these blackened branches hang upon the lanes, roofs collapsed; belongings turned to ashes. There wasn’t enough time to react.
“What do the working class really have?” asked Sarath Kumar G, a volunteer with Vyasai Thozhargal. “Our house is our only asset. When it burns, we are bound to start from zero. That’s not just a loss — that’s erasure.” The disaster left many families with just the clothes they had on.
The fire didn’t spare anyone — renters, single mothers, children, daily-wage workers. Kanaga came back from her work at around 5.30 pm just to find out that her house had exploded to dust. “Everything was gone — even the floor had turned black,” she recalled.
The same night, survivors were moved to a relief camp at Udhayasuriyan Nagar Government School. Sarath said, “We called officials, Welfare Department officers, and even some Communist party representatives.” That evening, local MLA RD Shekhar visited with revenue and administrative officials.
“Each family got Rs 5,000 from the MLA the very next day. Three days later, Rs 42,000 each came from the DMK Trust. Then the government gave us Rs 8,000 each through revenue relief,” informed Sarath.
But rebuilding costs crossed the granted amount. “Just three days of labour costs Rs 20,000. So what can we really do with Rs 50,000 or Rs 55,000,?” said Sheeba, a resident.
The aftermath
For nearly two weeks, affected families stayed in the relief camp, which shifted from the school to MS Mahal, and then to an anganwadi in MGR Nagar. That’s when Vyasai Thozhargal stepped in. “We just made sure they ate what they liked,” Sarath said. Volunteers shared home-cooked food — idlis with chutney, fish curry, egg omelettes, chicken biryani. For children, they bought milk, and for adults, tea and biscuits. “These are small things, but when you’ve lost everything, they matter,” said Vijayalakshmi, another volunteer.
Jaya Mary, a resident, agreed. “Even when our homes were gone, the volunteers made us feel like family.” Vijayalakshmi added, “While reeling under the trauma, our presence gave them strength. They are our own people — parents, brothers, sisters.”
Kanaga had a sense of contentment. “We didn’t feel like we lacked anything. Even though our home burned down, they [the volunteers] stood by us,” she said. There was a clear documentation of people’s needs. Vijayalakshmi shared that navigating through the official procedures was a difficult task for the residents, especially after losing important documents like Aadhaar and ration cards, birth certificates, etc. Vyasai Thozhargal guided them on how to get documents reissued and apply for compensation.
“We held a ration card camp,” said Nancy, a law student and volunteer. “But even now, a month later, they haven’t received cards. There were no ration supplies either. We are hoping that the cards get issued soon.” Along with a lot of important documents and belongings, Kanaga also suffered a loss of `50,000 cash that she had taken as a loan. Sarath said, “According to RBI, if a certain percentage of currency is damaged, they will replace it. We managed to retrieve Kanga akka’s Rs 11,000 that way, after lab test. Sandhana Mary, who lost her sewing machine, also retrieved her Rs 10,000.”
Some still stay in sheds without wiring or floors. Others had to temporarily move to their relatives’ houses. Children couldn’t attend schools for almost a week after the incident — their bags, books, and uniforms destroyed. Ramarajan, a father of two kids, said, “Our phones got burnt. Without OTPs, we couldn’t even access basic services. We couldn’t talk to officials or get school updates.”
Sarath started mapping the damage. The map — designed and colour-coded in Tamil — listed each home. Each colour indicated the status of damage and the progress under reconstruction. “This map is our accountability,” said Sarath.
The first house to be rebuilt was Kanaga’s. It is a small one — just a bed, TV; with a bathroom built outside, which is partitioned with a curtain. “It’s not perfect,” she said. “But it’s mine again.”
Sarath pointed out that earlier the entire area had just four-five toilets. Now the residents are constructing in such a way that there is a drainage pipe in every house. Even if the toilet is shared, they will have a provision of building a toilet.
Donations came in not from corporations, but individuals. “People saw the videos and sent money: Rs 3, Rs 100, Rs 5,000. Some even gave Rs 10,000 through UPI,” he said. They have raised around Rs 4 lakh through crowd funding.
Each house needs at least Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh to rebuild — cement, wiring, plumbing, tarpaulin, daily meals, labour. “People might say, ‘Just some huts caught fire.’ But if you stand in their shoes, you’ll see what was really lost,” Sarath said. “Memories, wedding saris, savings, school certificates — everything was gone. We’re not asking for sympathy. We’re asking to be seen. This isn’t about encroachment. It’s about people who’ve lived here for 20 years. It’s not just a shelter. It’s about dignity.”
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