The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Residents evicted from Porur lake area protest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Residents evicted from Porur lake area protest

Staff Reporter

Seek proper alternative housing and basic amenities

— Photo:M.Vedhan

UNITED PROTEST: Porur Lake evictees on a hunger strike near the State Guest House in Chepauk on Tuesday demanding proper alternative housing and basic amenities.

CHENNAI: A. Mangalam is one of the many Porur lake area evictees who were rendered homeless and had been facing livelihood problems for the past one year.

Several such families who lived in the area went on a hunger strike here on Tuesday demanding proper alternative housing and basic amenities.

“We were evicted from the Porur lake area last year, only to be shifted to another lake area of Nallur village, located a few km away from Kunrathur,” Ms. Mangalam complained.

Time not sufficient

Residents were not given sufficient time to shift their belongings before the demolition drive, she added.

The residents charged that the places provided to them in Kudapakkam near Poonamallee and in the Nallur lake area for alternative housing failed to address their basic needs such as healthcare, transport and education.

President of the Porur Lake Evictees Welfare Association R.Mallika said most of the about 12,000 families evicted, including from Selva Ganapathy Nagar in Porur Lake area, were left homeless now.

Only about 5,000 housing plots have been allotted in Kudapakkam and Nallur villages.

Several children had not been attending school regularly for a year due to erratic bus services, she said.

The residents, who were mostly casual labourers, said that education of about 500 children and their occupation were affected as they were asked to move away to a place far off from their workplace.

No action yet

A social activist of Centre for Social Work and Research A. Anand working for the welfare of the people said that fire accidents frequently damaged the thatched huts, which served as temporary shelters. Several representations had been made to the authorities, but no action was taken yet, he said.

Housing plots must be allotted to all the evictees and steps must be taken to provide proper education to the affected children, they said.

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