Residents of Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenements at Moolakotham allege poor quality construction of houses. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
A cross-section of residents of Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) housing tenements at Moolakothalam in Chennai has raised concerns about poor quality of materials and fittings used for constructing the dwelling units and demanded the State government to conduct a comprehensive audit to check the quality of materials used in the construction.
In 2018, the State government laid the foundation for constructing multi-storeyed dwelling units at Moolakothalam. As many as 1,035 houses were constructed in two projects with three 11-storey and six nine-storey blocks. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated these housing tenements in July 2023. Families from Villivakkam, Kannappar Thidal, Ramadoss Nagar, and Chintadripet were provisionally allotted houses at Moolakothalam as part of the resettlement efforts.
According to C. Murugesan, who was allotted a dwelling unit under the Ramadoss Nagar scheme, the materials used for building houses and toilet fittings were of poor quality. “Substandard materials were used to construct houses. The absence of sunshades and damaged glass windows have led to rainwater entering houses during heavy rain.”
Another resident requesting anonymity pointed out incomplete flooring and poor quality of plastering works. “Recently, a small hole developed in the fourth-floor verandah of G block. Even if the flooring is scratched using keys, the plastering materials are coming out. Damages in pipelines have led to water leakage. The lift is not working during night hours. These issues have been raised with the TNUHDB officials. But there was no proper response,” the resident said.
Vanessa Peter, founder, IRCDUC, a non-governmental organisation working for the urban poor, said the State government should form a monitoring committee, comprising beneficiaries and government officials to monitor the entire construction process to ensure accountability. Third-party quality certification for all these projects is the need of the hour, she added.
When contacted, a senior official from the TNUHDB said of the 1,035 houses, nearly 554 units have been allocated to beneficiaries in good condition. There are only minor repairs to be taken up. Steps are under way to address the concerns raised by the residents at the earliest.
Listing out various facilities available in the Moolakothalam housing tenements, the TNUHDB, in a press release, said the houses were constructed with modern Mivan technology. “Anti-social elements gained entry into the houses before it was allotted to the beneficiaries. They damaged the pipes, switches and electrical equipment,” the release claimed. “A case has been registered at Washermanpet police station on this issue,” it added.
Published - October 25, 2024 10:08 pm IST
