After a fire ravaged 19 houses in a slum in Sathyamoorthy Nagar in Chennai’s Vyasarpadi neighbourhood almost a week ago, the affected residents have been left in the lurch. They were first moved to a school building where they were temporarily staying, but have been hastily shifted to a nearby marriage hall on account of the new academic year starting on June 2.
The fire started at around 5 pm on Monday, May 26, in a cluster of hay houses in the slum, and burned through 19 houses. Residents say that the initial cause of the fire is unknown, though the wind that was blowing from east to west aided its spread. A gas cylinder reportedly exploded in the third house that caught fire, accelerating it further.
Firemen put out the fire around 7 pm, and the 19 families were shifted to a Chennai Corporation school in Udhayasooryan Nagar. The government disbursed a sum of Rs 50,000 each to the affected families.
The residents alleged that they were initially asked to vacate the school on the night of Thursday, May 29, three days after the fire. They were later allowed to stay, after interventions by Vyasai Thozhargal, a civil society organisation that works across North Chennai.
The new academic year is supposed to start on Monday, June 2, and this was the reason for asking them to vacate the school building. The councillor of Ward 37, which Sathyamoorthy Nagar falls under, J Dilli Babu, said that the residents would be moved to an Anganwadi in MGR Nagar. As of Sunday, June 1, the residents have been moved to a nearby marriage hall.
“What can we buy with Rs 50,000? We are supposed to restart our whole lives with that amount. Can we buy everything needed for a house using that money and then construct a house?” asked Selvi, a resident.
The affected residents mostly go to relief camps at night to sleep. They spend the day near their houses, trying to protect whatever the fire has left from being stolen. Most residents allege that the government has washed its hands of them after paying the compensation. They also said that the government publicising the Rs 50,000 they received in compensation has led to moneylenders from whom they had taken loans, asking for repayments.
Stephen, whose house was burned in the fire, told TNM that if they knew the compensation was a way out for the government, they would not have accepted it. According to the residents, most people who live in the colony, located adjacent to the main road near Sathyamoorthy Nagar, are daily wage labourers, flower vendors, or rickshaw drivers.
Stephen is the second graduate from the settlement after his sister Jayamary. He explained that his mother moved to the area because they couldn’t afford to pay rent. “If we had to give rent, then I would've had to go to work instead of studying. The choice between living and studying is not a choice at all,” he said.
Stephen said that the problems of the people didn’t start with the fire. Residents have long suffered from a housing crisis, and are seeking a stable environment for themselves and their children to study and exist in peace.
Houses prone to fire
Across Chennai, there are several Thideer Nagars — thideer in Tamil means instantaneous. They are named so because these slums, made with tin and dry leaves, catch fire rapidly.
The slum in Sathyamoorthy Nagar, which caught fire on May 26, was not a Thideer Nagar. Nevertheless, the people’s problems are the same in this slum as they are anywhere in the city– lack of clean bathrooms, safe residence, ownership documents, and the threat of eviction for government projects loom over them.
“This isn’t the first time a fire has broken out. Next time, our kids will sit like this on top of burnt houses,” said Selvi, pointing to the hay and dried leaves used to build the houses, making them prone to fire.
The settlement in Sathyamoorthy Nagar had seen a fire 10 years ago, but older residents say it was not as severe.
“We have been here for 20 years, they can give us pattas, can’t they?” asked Mahalashmi, another affected resident. “If they give us money, they give it like alms. Either give us another place or build houses here,” she said.
Stability for kids
Rakhaya, a class nine student in a nearby government school, who aspires to become a civil servant, said that her books, bag, and uniform have all been burnt. She will take leave for at least a week, and her sister Ramyashree, who starts class six this year, cannot go to school on June 2 either.
There are more than a hundred houses in the area, and many houses have kids like Rakshya and Ramyashree. Stephen urged the government to take action to provide residents with stable housing and facilities so that the kids can study.
“If the government doesn’t do anything, people cannot attain progress. For that, the government must see us as people, not just poor,” he said.
Relief relies on crowdfunding
The relief work in the area in the aftermath of the fire is headed by Vyasai Thozhargal. Meals, clothes, and other necessities are provided by them, the residents said. Shaktivel, a member of the organisation, said that relief activities rely on crowdfunding and donations.
The Ward councillor said that the state government had given Rs 8,000 to each family while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the ruling party, gave Rs 42,000. According to him, the government also gave 10 kg of rice, while DMK gave 26 kg, and the MLA of the Harbour Assembly Constituency, RD Shekhar, gave Rs 5,000 to each household.
Kasinathan, the Inspector at the P5 MKB Nagar police station, said that a First Information Report was filed to look into the cause of the fire, but reasons for the fire can be given only after a forensic evaluation.
The revenue department is in the process of taking account of property loss.