From physical distancing to helping elderly residents, the residents welfare associations of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) resettlement colony in Perumbakkam, have been taking every possible precaution to keep COVID-19 at bay.
There are close to 20,000 families living in more than 150 blocks in the resettlement colony here. Each block has eight floors and there are around 24 houses in each floor in the old tenements and 12 houses in the new ones. Most of the residents are daily wage earners. “This means, if one person gets infected, it won’t take much time for the remaining families to fall sick. Hence precautionary measures have to be taken,” says S. Dhanalakshmi, a resident of the tenement.
The residents welfare associations in the colony have themselves put up boards near elevators asking only two people to travel at a time. “Initially we switched off the elevator, but many living on the seventh floor were finding it hard. So we are now allowing only two persons,” said a resident of L Block.
Besides, the associations are also helping individuals, who do not have families living in their block, by providing them with food. “We also pour turmeric water to disinfect the corridor. Most of the residents are not stepping out,” said a resident of C Block.
D. Karthikeyan, managing director, TNSCB, said that they are disinfecting 1.5 lakh tenements in over 300 places across the State. The board has purchased 91 spraying machines for 18 divisions in Chennai and other towns.
“The corridors, staircase, lift, doors and insides of the blocks are sprayed with disinfectants using power sprayers. The exterior areas such as roads, platforms, shops and parks are disinfected with bleaching powder solution using jet-rodding machines on alternate days,” he said.
Senior TNSCB officials are inspecting the colonies frequently. “We also have a jeep in the colonies to rush the residents who show symptoms to hospital. As on date, none of them have had symptoms,” said a TNSCB official.
