When Elsa Mary and other former residents of Kanappar Thidal decided to move to government allotted flats in Moolakothalam as leaky roofs and other issues plagued their houses in the slum, they didn’t even mind taking a home loan. “Even if we have to take loans, that's okay. We need a house with a roof that won’t leak. A house has become our life’s goal,” Elsa had previously told TNM. However, when incessant rains hit Chennai on Tuesday, October 15, they were faced with the same fate at the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) houses — roofs on the ninth floor leaked and rainwater entered their homes and corridors. 

Selvam, a resident, told TNM, “Water is dripping from the roofs of houses on the ninth floor. Water is also entering the corridors and houses due to wind-accompanied rains. We are using brooms to push the water out through the staircase.” He added, “We insisted the state government move us here before the monsoon begins thinking that things will change. But this is no different from Kannappar Thidal.”

Another resident Vimala (name changed) noted that the situation turned dire on the very first day of the northeast monsoon. “In the next two days [October 16 and 17] they have predicted very heavy rains. I am worried about how we will manage then. I am also worried about how we will manage in November and December, as cyclonic rains wreak havoc during those months almost every year,” she said.

Residents have flagged their complaints to the TNUHDB. “We called the assistant engineer but since the areas around us are also inundated, the engineers are first attending to those places,” Selvam said. 

The residents were shifted to Block E of the TNUHDB’s Moolakothalam site, located in Old Washermanpet, Chennai, on October 5, after 23 years of protesting for permanent housing.

TNM reported on October 5 that the elevators are dysfunctional and windows are broken at the newly constructed, unoccupied houses on Block E. Even after days, these problems have not been addressed, residents confirmed.

It may be noted that 64 street dwellers’ families were shifted to Kannappar Thidal slum in 2001 with the promise of being moved to a permanent shelter soon. Each family lived in cramped spaces and lacked sanitation facilities. Over the last 23 years, the 64 families became 114 families. After staging various protests demanding permanent houses, on September 23, they were handed allotment orders. Residents are now paying monthly installments under the hire-cum-purchase scheme. They will have to pay Rs 594 every month for a span of 20 years to obtain complete ownership of their houses.

Also read: Leaky flats: 77 families relocated by Kochi Corporation face flooding nightmare