One of the multi-storeyed apartments under construction by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board at Amman Kulam in the city has started 'sinking'.
The government decided to construct tenements for slum dwellers as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to remove slums in cities. The project aims at re-locating and rehabilitating those living in slums along water bodies and canals.
Out of the total 9,600 dwelling units proposed, works in respect of 3,840 dwelling units rest with the Board.
The Board is to construct 1,608 dwelling units at Rs.49 crore. At Amman Kulam construction of 936 dwelling units has begun. One of the blocks having 48 dwelling units started ‘sinking' on Friday. By Saturday it had sank about 40 cm and the structure started leaning backwards. Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy; Coimbatore District Collector P. Umanath; Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra; Deputy Commissioner of Police P. Nagarajan (Law and Order); and Tahsildar P. Subramanian visited the site.
Police personnel have been deployed in strength in the area to prevent clash between local residents and construction workers, as a surcharged atmosphere prevailed. The Board engineers and officials were inquiring into the incident. The contractor and construction site in-charge have been asked to explain.
