After a technical expert committee declared 1,270 housing units in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts unsafe for living, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) has decided to demolish all the units and served final notice to the occupants to vacate the premises immediately.
After the expert team inspected the housing units — 894 in Ramanathapuram and 376 in Sivaganga districts — and presented its report stating that they were no longer safe for living, the TNHB served the final notice during March-April, asking the occupants to vacate the premises and pave way for demolition. “We have sent the proposals to our headquarters and once the funds were sanctioned, the demolition will begin,” R. Asir, Executive Engineer and Administrative Officer of the district unit of the TNHB, said.
Four years ago
He said the apartments, built in phases for the benefit of government employees during 1984-85, became unsafe for dwelling four years ago, and since then the board had been issuing notices to the occupants to vacate the premises.
The board served the first notice in 2011 and followed it up with the second notice last year before serving the final notice two months ago. Despite the repeated notices, 349 families were still residing in the unsafe apartments in Ramanathapuram and 102 in Singampunari and Sivaganga in Sivaganga district, he said.
As the TNHB could not afford to face the risk, it initiated the drastic action of disconnecting water and power supplies to the apartments. The board had sent the details of service connections to the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Corporation (Tangedco) to disconnect the power supply, he added.
In 42 apartments built in front of Schwartz Higher Secondary School in the first phase here, there were still 19 occupants. After vacating them, the apartments would be demolished and the land handed over to the district administration as requested by the Collector. In respect of other areas, the TNHB would build new apartments if the Collectors placed the demand notice, he added.
