Even after five years, residents of CMC Colony in Coimbatore continue to live in temporary single-room shelters without proper sanitation, waiting for the permanent housing they were promised after losing their homes to the Ukkadam flyover project.
In 2019, around 500 families of conservancy workers were relocated near the Pullukadu housing unit with the assurance that they would receive new houses within two years. As part of this resettlement plan, the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) constructed 222 housing units at a cost of ₹25 crores on a 17,860 sq. ft. site near the Ukkadam fish market. However, the allocation of these homes has been delayed due to the pending relocation of the fish market.
Residents have repeatedly appealed to the district administration and civic authorities, demanding the allocation of the completed houses. “We were promised homes near the fish market, but the delay in shifting the market has left us waiting for over five years. The houses are ready, yet we are still forced to live in makeshift shelters with poor drainage and flooding issues during the rains,” said V. Madhavi, a resident.
The temporary housing is inadequate for long-term living, with only 10 toilets for 300 families and extreme heat conditions due to metal roofing. “The sanitation facilities are insufficient and unclean, forcing women and children to use relatives’ homes nearby,” said S. Vasanthi, another resident.
A TNUHDB official stated that a proposal has been submitted to construct an additional 298 houses on the site where the fish market was demolished. Once funds are approved, tenders will be issued. Meanwhile, the 222 completed housing units will be allocated within a month through a lottery-based selection process conducted by the district administration.
