Over 200 families face eviction as Cooum restoration begins

A senior official from the Greater Chennai Corporation, responsible for executing the evacuation from the floodplains of Cooum near Aminjikarai, said 202 families will be relocated to Perumbakkam over the next two days. “On Wednesday, we relocated 74 families and the rest will follow in a day or two. We have hired workers and trucks to help the families move their belongings to their new tenements. The allotment of the living quarters in Perumbakkam is going on simultaneously,” said the official. Meanwhile, officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) began to pull down the shanties dotting the river. “The PWD will secure the perimeter of the river for the restoration, which will begin soon by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT),” added the official. Kumar (50), an autorickshaw driver, watched forlornly as the house he grew up in was pulled down by the earthmover.  

“Our ancestors lived here. This is the place where we were born and spent our childhood. Seeing our homes being destroyed is difficult but we have been left with no choice. We are all a little worried as we don’t know how we would adjust to our new surroundings, where we must find new jobs and schools for children,” he said. For some, like Valli, a 36-year-old mother-of-two, the fact that she hasn’t been allocated housing in Perumbakkam has raised questions about their future, even as their present dwellings were pulled down.  

“My husband left us long ago. We filled out the forms as specified by the officials but we haven’t received the allotment yet. I don’t know what to do and how it will work out for our family,” she said, even as three other families were suffering a similar fate. Shakuntala (55), who has faulty vision, was running from pillar to post, requesting officials to allot her a living quarter, displaying her ID proof.  Revathy, a 25-year-old who works at a garment store in a city mall, said, “We have been asking officials since the past few days but have received no clarity. We don’t want to end up on the road.” 

Corporation officials say the residents have been spoken to over the last 10 days and they had been cooperative. The Education Department took the details of the children to ensure the children’s education was not affected. An official from the department said, “Based on the schools and boards these children are in, we will help them find a similar school in their new locality. Since it is the middle of the year, most schools don’t accept new admissions but we will ensure these children are enrolled and continue with their education. For those who want to study in the same school in Aminjikarai, they can use the hostel facility provided by the Corporation.”