SIHS Colony TNHB Appartment
A TNHB apartment in a dilapidated condition at SIHS Colony in the city. Residents of 234 flats in Tamil Nadu Housing Board apartments in SIHS Colony have urged the Chief Minister to bestow his personal attention on their plight. In a memorandum, president R.M. Mathivanan and secretary Sekar said that the houses were constructed in 1989 and were classified as B, C and D type apartments and allotted to government servants on the basis of their pay-scales. The rent for the same was being deducted from their salaries. The colony is located close to the drinking water overhead reservoir of the Corporation and there were no distribution lines. As a result, the residents were getting water only through Corporation tankers at the rate of 15 pots per flat and that too once in 15 days.
After the issue was taken to the notice of the Mayor, last year the Corporation laid distribution lines for bringing water to each block in the colony. Even after laying the distribution lines, there was no solution in sight, since the Corporation asked the residents to inform the Tamil Nadu Housing Board to apply for distribution of water through pipelines. With the TNHB not applying for commencing water supply through distribution lines, the Corporation served a notice on June 4 stating that if action was not taken to apply for water supply through distribution lines, it would discontinue the water supply through tankers. Even after that the TNHB had not initiated any action on the issue.
The roads in the colony were dug up for laying pipelines and have not been restored. Even after an ordinary spell of rain, the roads turn slushy making life miserable for the residents. Owing to lack of maintenance, the houses are in a dilapidated condition and overhead water tanks have started crumbling. Drainage pipelines have suffered damages and the buildings are in a very bad condition, threatening to collapse. Despite repeated representations and reminders, the TNHB authorities, citing financial constraints, were not taking any measures for repairing or renovating these flats.
The residents association has appointed conservancy workers for the upkeep of the colony. Since the residents are government servants, they are not in a position to stage agitations as it would be seen as a protest against the government by government servants. However, with the situation turning worse and left with no other option, the residents have decided to stage an agitation along with their family members to draw the attention of the government towards their plight. The association has also resolved to mobilise the support of the TNHB residents in other colonies.
