Weeks after eviction, pavement dwellers wait for housing allotments

R. Eswari, 23, who represented India in the Street Child Football World Cup, 2018, held in Russia, is now unsure of where she will live. Many weeks after clearing encroachments from Rattan Bazaar Road, Walltax Road families continue to wait for housing allotments. Families hope that they are allotted a house nearby such as the Tamil Nadu Urban Housing Development Board’s (TNUHDB) – Stanley Hospital-Seven Wells, which was inaugurated recently or the tenements on Anna Pillai Street.

“Our belongings were removed by police and officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation stating that we were encroaching. Though they said houses would be given, there has been no update. Only 11 families on this street have been allotted. We were told that we wouldn’t get houses as we don’t have huts to establish our residence,” said Lakshmi, 35, a resident of Rattan Bazaar Road.

Selvi, 65, explained how difficult it is to survive on the streets. “It’s a constant threat to our lives. From the oncoming traffic, to wandering men. We are on alert all the time. There’s no toilet facility nor is there drinking water,” she said, who has been living on the street for three generations now.

Eswari, a resident near Memorial Hall adds that it’s impossible to get a house on their own. “An advance to a house is atleast ₹50,000. If we could manage that then why would we continue to live on the streets?” she asked. They were also evicted a month earlier however, only 11 families were allotted houses in the new tenements. “We were told that in the next scheme we would be accommodated? But how do we believe there will be another scheme?” she asked.

Nightmare during rains

She recalls how during heavy rains, they don’t sleep. “The pain of having to get new copies of birth certificates only we know. We can’t get good jobs as we need access to water to bathe, which is not that often. Our health is in jeopardy all the time,” said the fourth-generation pavement dweller.

Lakshmi, echoing her sentiments, said that she lost her 11-year-old daughter as she was exposed to constant rains and developed epilepsy-like symptoms costing her life three years ago. “With no shelter except for tarpaulin, getting drenched is certain. Every monsoon is a battle for life,” she added.

When asked regarding the housing for the public, GCC and TNUHDB officials pointed fingers at the other, transferring responsibility for finding housing allotments for the pavement dwellers. A GCC official said that they only clear encroachments and don’t conduct enumerations or allocations. Meanwhile a TNUHDB official said that the department which clears encroachments takes care of enumeration and they only look at eligibility. P. Sriramalu, Royapuram Ward Committee Chairman said that he would inspect the area regarding the issue on Tuesday.