More than fifty families from the Irular community in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, have been left in a precarious situation for the past four months. They are waiting for the district administration to fulfill its promise of building new houses after they demolished their old, dilapidated homes on official instructions.
A Promise of New Homes Leads to Homelessness
The affected families have lived in N Thattakkal village near Pochampally for over five decades. Their old houses were in a severely deteriorated condition. Four months ago, government officials visited the area and assured the residents that new houses would be constructed for them. Trusting this assurance, the families proceeded to demolish their old dwellings as instructed.
However, the promised reconstruction has barely begun. Only the foundation of the houses was laid in the first phase. Since then, for the last four months, no further construction work has taken place, leaving the families without proper shelter.
Living in Peril and Resorting to Protest
M Samiyappan, one of the affected residents, highlighted their dire circumstances. He stated that those who lost their houses are now living in temporary arrangements where poisonous reptiles are a constant threat. The families have made several complaints to the authorities, but no corrective action was taken.
Frustrated by the prolonged inaction, the families recently staged a road blockade on the Krishnagiri-Pochampally state highway. The Nagarasampatty police arrived at the scene and held talks with the protesters. After the police assured them that they would speak to the relevant authorities and initiate immediate steps to build the houses, the protesters dispersed.
Assurances Yet to Materialize into Action
Despite the police intervention and assurances, the families report that there has been no development or progress in the construction of their homes following the protest. They continue to wait in hope, living in unsafe conditions, for the administration to honor its commitment made four months ago.
The situation underscores a critical failure in follow-through on a government housing promise, impacting the lives of over fifty marginalized families in Krishnagiri district.
