Kalaiselvi was busy moving furniture to her new house in Ayodhyakuppam on Friday morning. She felt relieved that she would no longer have to pay a huge rent - like she had been doing for the last three years - for staying in a nearby apartment.
“This is where we all grew up, and coming back is a great feeling,” she said as she arranged her kitchen wares on a shelf.
Three years ago, Kalaiselvi and other residents of the notorious locality had to vacate their houses and seek shelter in nearby areas, after the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board started its State-funded Reconstruction of Dilapidated Tenements Programme. Each family was paid a compensation of ₹8,000.
In December last, the Board finally completed reconstruction of the tenements and provided accommodation to 712 families. Each tenement is 393 sq ft in area and residents will have to pay a rent of ₹250 and another ₹250 as maintenance fee every month.
According to officials, 680 families have so far moved in. While most families have lauded the new construction, many have raised concerns about the availability of basic amenities and the quality of construction.
“It’s three days since we received water supply,” said Valarmathi, who, with her family of four, shifted from Triplicane a week ago. “Also, the flooring in many houses is not levelled. We only hope that they are built on a good foundation, and do not develop cracks on walls and ceilings like the old house.”
A once-dreaded locality due to its association with gangster Veeramani, who was killed in an encounter on the Marina, the residents of Ayodhyakuppam claim that the new houses will help create a better image of the area and its people.
N. Vasu, a shopkeeper and resident, recalled the days when people of Ayodhyakuppam had a tough time finding transport or even a job. “Autorickshaws steered clear of the area and people were afraid to socialise with us. While all this has slowly changed over time, we only hope that the coming days will be better,” he said.
