Perched precariously on the banks of the fetid Coonoor River, 15 families living in temporary housing amidst the cold, wet cul-de-sac in the main Coonoor Junction under the bridge, have had no access to clean water, toilets or electricity for the more than four decades that they have lived here.
The residents of the locality, which used to be known as Atrangaraikuppam till recently, only to be changed to Chinna MGR Nagar as the residents demanded because their children were being made fun of at their school, said that there was little to no basic amenities in their settlement.
The families continue to live as daily wage workers, and said that the threat of the river flooding during the rain was constantly on the minds of people here, and that they were forced to leave the settlement when heavy rain occurred.
S, Jyoti, a resident, said that there was constant flow of dirty water along the river. “There is a slaughterhouse nearby, which dumps their waste directly into the river while most of the houses further upstream also release their sewage, including human waste, into the river,” she said.
The families in Chinna MGR Nagar have very limited access to clean drinking water, and use the polluted waters of the Coonoor River to wash their clothes, which they think causes them to become sick and develop skin diseases.
D. Natraj, another local, said that there were no toilets, and that all people living in the area defecate in the river. There was no electricity for the houses either. “The area is also extremely unsafe, especially for women, as there are no street lights,” added Natraj.
The residents said that they had approached the district administration pleading for them to be relocated away from the area. “We have met many officials and have applied for free houses to be built for us, but all our complaints have fallen on deaf ears,” said S. Raja, another resident.
