Demolition of buildings begins
Dilapidated tenements on Vincent Road in Ukkadam being demolished on Monday.The authorities on Monday commenced the demolition of old, weak and dilapidated Slum Clearance/Tamil Nadu Housing board building on Vincent Road at Ukkadam after evacuating the people living there.On Friday one of the Slum Clearance Board/Tamil Nadu Housing Board buildings with 24 houses – the first block on Vincent Road from the Ukkadam bus stand side – collapsed killing 13 people and injuring 11 others.The repeated attempts by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board by serving notices to get these residents evacuated met with resistance.The occupants demanded a promise on alternative accommodation and refused to leave the houses.When the ill-fated building developed a crack and started tilting, last minute efforts to evacuate the occupants went in vain.Those who listened to the police and started vacating the houses escaped the tragedy but those who chose to resist and those who ventured into the house once again to remove all their belongings to the possible extents became the victims.
On Friday, the Collector, Neeraj Mittal; City Police Commissioner, C.K. Gandhirajan; and other senior officials oversaw the demolition work.The dilapidated building next to the site where the block collapsed was demolished on Monday amid tight police security.Having provided immediate shelter to the families living there in seven to eight Corporation buildings, Collector Neeraj Mittal said that all the buildings with 352 houses would be demolished.The district administration and the Housing Board officials have already identified weak buildings at a number of places in the city such as Sidhapudur, Kempatty Colony, VKK Menon Road and Arundhadiyar Colony, for demolition. Priority would be to demolish such buildings near slums.
The precautionary measures gain significance in the wake of the setting in of the North-East Monsoon, since most of these buildings may not stand more than even one rain.Long-term rehabilitation and resettlement plans were being worked out by the Government at the highest level, Mr. Mittal said.Those being relocated out of Ukkadam would be provided permanent accommodation at the earliest, Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy had said.The Communist Party of India(Marxist) district secretary, P.R. Natarajan, in a release here has said that complete medical expenses for the injured should be met by the Government.Victims should be given Rs. 60,000, as part of relief measures since resettlement was likely to consume more time.Alternative accommodations should be completed at the earliest.A public meeting would be held at Kottaimedu Perumal Koil Maidan on Tuesday, the release said.
K. Subbarayan, MP, in a statement here has asked the Government to constitute a committee of engineering experts to assess the condition of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board constructions in the State to prevent further tragedies.He demanded stringent action against officials responsible for these constructions.Orunkinantha Tamil Nadu Kovai Veetu Vasathi Variya Pirivu Othukeetalargal Nala Sangham has asked the Government to ensure safety of those living in TNHB buildings.
