Issues of safety plague TNUHDB tenements

Chennai: In a reminder of the squalid state of Tamil Nadu's affordable housing programme targeted at low-income individuals, the living conditions at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenements at Kesava Pillai (KP) Park in Pulianthope have gone from bad to worse. Residents of this complex, home to more than 1,500 families, have a huge laundry list of grievances from inferior workmanship and subpar raw material used during the construction of the block, damaged staircases, non-functional elevators, to indiscriminate dumping of garbage on the premises, inadequate lighting, as well as the presence of antisocial elements peddling drugs on the premises.The extent of squalor and the safety risks to the residents were made public last year when a senior citizen was killed in an accident involving an elevator stuck between two floors. When contacted, TNUHDB officials said they had sought 1 crore from the govt to repair all elevators. "Metrowater is addressing water supply issues. Garbage clearance happens daily, but some residents continue to dump waste carelessly. Police personnel have been regularly cracking down on the sale of narcotics. We have also been conducting skill development programs, but the youth skip the sessions," said an official. TNUHDB member secretary Anshul Mishra said, "We are collaborating with departments such as GCC, Metrowater, and police to tackle these issues."