COIMBATORE: As Chief Minister M K Stalin is scheduled to visit Coimbatore on Tuesday, sanitary workers and trades from Ukkadam hope he will address the longstanding issues that have impacted their livelihoods and housing security.
Sanitary workers displaced by the Ukkadam Flyover project are still living in temporary shelters awaiting the construction of permanent housing. These residents were initially promised new homes on the land occupied by the old corporation fish market, which is still operational, blocking progress on their housing works. Meanwhile, traders from the fish market are seeking approval to relocate to the newly built facility.
The delay in shifting traders to the new market facility stems from unresolved financial issues; many traders owe dues totalling several crores to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and these unpaid dues have prevented CCMC from giving full clearance for them to move, prolonging the hardship for both traders and displaced residents.
The Ukkadam-Aathupalam flyover project, which began in 2018 and was completed in 2024, required the demolition of 727 homes and existing housing units in the CMC Colony. To accommodate affected residents temporarily, officials arranged shelters in Pullukadu, which promised the construction of permanent housing in the same area.
Under the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board’s (TNUHDB) Ukkadam Phase IV Project, around 235 new homes have been constructed and allocated to displaced residents. However, for the remaining 492 families, housing units are yet to be materialised. Although work on a 222-unit housing block started in 2020, the project remained incomplete.
For the remaining 298 units, plans require the relocation of traders from the old fish market to the new facility in Pullukadu, which is the demolition of the old market, and the construction of additional housing on that site.
Despite repeated petitions and requests from the affected residents, the situation has remained stagnant.
Traders have been seeking to secure a lease agreement for the new market on a government land request that requires a special Government Order (GO) from the state. Although higher officials and the chief secretary have been made aware of the issue, no resolution has been reached.
With the Chief Minister’s visit imminent, both the sanitary workers and traders are hopeful that he will intervene to expedite the necessary approvals and will put an end to their years-long wait.