Building collapse: displaced families allotted houses

TNUHDB planning to demolish old buildings and build new ones in their place in a phased manner

Seventeen of the 28 families who had lost their houses in the collapse of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) building in Tiruvottiyur, have been allocated houses in two different locations on Sunday.

Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and TNUHDB, T.M. Anbarasan handed over the allocation orders to the 17 families. Nine were allocated houses at tenements in All India Radio site in Ernavoor while the remaining were given houses in Nalla Thanneer Odai (N.T.O) Kuppam. While all the 28 families were initially offered houses in K.P. Park in Pulianthope, many did not prefer the option as it was located far.

Gradual reconstruction

The Minister indicated that the Board was planning to gradually demolish and reconstruct all the buildings at the collapsed site, which comprises 336 apartment units, including the ones that collapsed. The remaining 11 of the 28 families had expressed their willingness to move to rental accommodation nearby and return to the site once the reconstruction was complete, he said.

“Once the technical committee to analyse the quality of the building submits its report, the remaining units could also be gradually demolished and reconstructed, provided the residing families are willing to move out temporarily,” he said.