why still slums in chennai?

7/29/2019 WHY STILL SLUMS IN CHENNAI?

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Dinesh Kumar Radhakrishnan

Founder Propel Steps

Saidapet a place you may not find in the map of India,but definitely you might have come across even if you

visited Chennai once. It is one of the busiest areas of

Chennai, where the busiest Mount Road is.

Adyar River once upon a time river, now a drainage canalirrigates citys concrete forests via this place now

competing with Chennais fame Cooum river for its stench.

Now people of Chennai even do not know the difference

between Adyaru and Cooum. For my friends any river cum

drainage in Chennai is a Cooum.

A sneak peak at history revealed that once on Cooum our

honourable Chief Minister of that time Mr.Kalaignar wenton a boat trip. Can we do it now? Not many centuries

before, not even 50 years before, just few decades back

the river gave abundant life to fishes. Now no fish even

can survive in these rivers.

This Article is NOT FOR DETAILING THE FATE OF THE

TWO RIVERS. It is a known storyline behind all polluted

rivers across globe, at least in India. Then what is my

intention?

I really have no clue

whether our nation is well

governed or badly governed.

Whatever side the coin flips

does not matter. Yet there

are homeless and poor

people who live in places,

where we dare not even to

step in.

In a country well

governed, poverty is

something to be

ashamed of. In a

country badly

governed, wealth is

something to be

A clean Cooum project, at the

cost of Rs.118 lakh, was

launched in 1967.

Inaugurating the project, Chief

Minister C.N. Annadurai said:

The Cooum will bring Madras

city a place for pride like the

Thames to London. The

ambition and aspiration could

not have been better

expressed.

The 1967 clean-up project

culminated in the launch of

pleasure boat services by Chief

Minister M.Karunanidhi in

1973.

Good old days: Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi taking a pleasure boat

ride which was launched on

completion of a project to clean up

the Cooum, in February 1973.

It is difficult to provide

drainage network for the slums

on the river bed. Unless they

are removed it would be

difficult to control the pollution

levels say Metrowater

officials. Feb 05 2009

Clean-up of Chennai rivers to

begin, Rs 300cr allotted Jul 27,

2012, The long anticipated

cleaning of waterways in the

city may begin soon. Chief

Minister J Jayalalithaa on

Thursday announced the

allocation of Rs 300 crore for

effluent treatment and other

related works...

Courtesy: The Hindu & TOI


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One Slum Dog Millionaire might be cherished but not many

from these slums are becoming Millionaires, than being a

victim of poverty. I have emphasized more previously about

the bad stage of Adayar River and Cooum River just to

depict the condition prevails in the banks of these rivers (so

called).

Even while crossing the bridges we see people closing their

noses for escaping the smell. I just got down from the bus

to walk over the Saidapet Bridge, to feel it. Hardly 15 mins I

could stand there. I just changed my view to the same huts

tilting towards and kissing the drainage waters, horrible even


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when I spotted some kids stepped into the drainage so casually and playing.

Another old man was washing clothes in that drainage. The conditions of their huts

were horribly damaged. Those can badly make a good shelter which even a poor man

deserves. Made an attempt to walk in to their houses on day one and I returned as I

was totally an alienated human as I kept walking further to the old man.

I was saddened. In heard MGR Song in my ears annandhu paarkindra maaligai katti..

adhan arunginil olai-kudisai katti Indha bhumi

sirikkum indha naadu sirikkum (means If you let people live in slums nearby where

you built your multi-storey building and if you call it as a Golden Era of life, then the

world will laugh at you)

No sky scrapers but there are buildings posh enough surrounding the area like Panagal

Maligai, Tamilnadu Open University, some festoon gate to celebrate and the mostquestionable building nearby is Slum Rehabilitation Housing unit built by government are

near by the same.

Every day we see them living in the midst of human feces, unhygienic drainage carrying

most of the citys pollutions. We see the same here in Saidapet bridge, while going in a

bus or a bike or in a BMW. Why we lost the humanity to think about them once?

Why we become so selfish and rushing for our own problems? May not solve their

problems at least think about them. Ok my fellow Common man, leave our lameexcuses. But what happen to our elected representatives? Every day our politicians cross

the same road, seeing them (may not have time), Even if they dont have time, their

cutouts and 30 foot flex banners will have time to stand tall and see the heartrending

conditions they live in. The banners will neither close their eyes, nor solve the poors

problems. I am unable to find any 6 differences between our politicians and their cut

outs. If the banner and flex expenses of one political meeting would be adequate for

their rehabilitation.

I am not here to speak ill about them or a particular party or a group of people or

any extremist thoughts. As an Indian, as a human I am feeling for my fellow humans.

Want you to feel the same, someone may take it to someone who can bring change.

Have a look at the pictures This is where they live. This is the same Chennai where

you find hoardings everywhere for Property Ads saying just 1 point some crores.

Hmmm I am not speaking communism but we should feel bad to eat Pizza and

Chicken Burgers for thousands of bucks, when a fellow human starves for hunger just

beside us. Just the humane thought inside me questioned me. I answered it.


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You too will feel the same I feel. But only thing is we feel we can do anything as one

person. If you cant change anything good for them, fine. Just give some voice for them.

Make people to know about them, enough. Someone who can change their fate good

will do the job for you. Just take pride to yourself, in sharing this article if it deserves.

Saidapet : 2009 You can find the same slums in the same place


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Saidapet 2013 : Still the slums and poverty there, Same in future too?

HOPE THERE WILL BE A CHANGE.

WHY STILL SLUMS IN CHENNAI ?

why still slums in chennai?

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