Indian Express 3.11.2009
From slums to houses, nothing has changed for them
With poor safety standards and faulty construction plan, housing complex in Sector 38 (West) has turned into an ‘organised’ slum
Within a month of occupying the new flats under the much-hyped Slum Rehabilitation Scheme in Sector 38 (West), problems for the residents have surfaced. From basic amenities to a faulty construction plan, everything presents a grim picture of the residential complex.
The administration had claimed that every flat had been equipped with basic necessary amenities to change the life and outlook of these disadvantaged families but the conditions in which the inhabitants are living highlight the hollow promises made by the Administration.
The mere view of the housing complex gives an impression of another slum though in a much organised manner — each unit stacked one over the other. The one-room unit, comprising four floors with 64 houses in each block, face back to back. The complex comprises of a total of eight similar blocks where safety and security is a major concern of the allottees.
“It seems that the administration just wanted to win laurels for allotting us these units. Owing to the low height of the balcony boundary wall, which is not more than three feet, a 13 year-old-boy lost his life last week. Even if we want to, we cannot even raise the walls for our own safety,” said a resident.
Lack of planning is the first thing one notices as one enters a flat. In the one-room unit, there is no separate provision for kitchen. “In the absence of any minimal arrangements for kitchen, most of us have spent around Rs 15 thousand to make concrete slabs,” said Kamla Devi, one of the allottees.
The 512 allottees were shifted from pre-fabricated structures in Sector 52 in two phases — September 19 (192 allottees) and August 15 (320 allottees). The families of even seven to eight members are living in a 10x10 room units. “We have even requested the authorities to allow us to put a temporary partition with a ply board but the authorities vetoed our proposal. It is very difficult to live in a room with young children,” said Kanhiya Lal, who sells milk to earn to make his living.
The administration’s claims of a successful transition of slums in to healthy communities fall flat with the numerous complaints of the allottees. “To save the construction costs, the water and sanitation pipes are laid outside. If there is leakage in the house within one month of the construction, one can imagine the the poor quality of construction material used,” said Sri Ram who has to meet the requirements of a family of six.
Under the slum rehabilitation scheme by the Chandigarh Housing Board, the construction of 25,728 flats is undertaken for slum dwellers, with a subsidiary benefit of vacation of encroached land to be used for other developmental and growth-oriented projects. This ambitious project, costing Rs 1,200 crore, partly funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), is being implemented with the mission to make the city ‘slum free’.
