Hundreds of residents displaced to Chennai’s resettlement colonies used a slogan-led protest on Sunday, 21 December 2025, to draw attention to what they described as years of official neglect, unsafe living conditions, drug menace, and inadequate public services.
The protest, organised by Arappor Iyakkam under the banner “Kelu Chennai Kelu” (Listen Chennai, Listen), was held at Egmore and saw participation from over 500 residents from Perumbakkam, Kannagi Nagar, KP Park in Pulianthope, and Vyasarpadi.
Residents from Perumbakkam, home to around 24,000 families, flagged rampant drug abuse and serious safety concerns. S. Jayapriya, 33, said schoolchildren had easy access to narcotics and described poor school management. “There are four schools, but they are badly managed. Students even climb out of compound walls during class hours,” she said. Fearing for her child’s safety, Jayapriya said she sends her daughter to a government school in Santhome, where the family lived before relocation. “Because of poor bus connectivity, my daughter leaves at 6.30 am and returns only by 7 pm. It is unsafe,” she added.
From Kannagi Nagar, which houses nearly 23,000 families, residents complained of inadequate public transport, claiming that while at least 65 MTC buses were required, only about 30 were currently in operation.
Residents of KP Park in Pulianthope, housing over 2,000 families, highlighted severe structural flaws in the tenements. R. Sangeetha recounted a lift accident that left her father grievously injured. “The lift stopped between floors. Elderly people were told to get down midway. My father tried to step out when the lift bounced and moved. He fell inside the shaft. His body was so badly injured that we couldn’t recognise him,” she said.
Urban poor from #Chennai narrate gory tales from city’s resettlement colony that’s plagued by structural and civic issues.
A woman lost her son after he fell from a window of 7th floor that had no safety railings.
Another woman’s father fell inside the lift gap when the lift… pic.twitter.com/arLWFDMQul
— Omjasvin M D (@omjasvinMD) December 21, 2025
Another resident said her son had fallen from the seventh floor because window railings were missing. “Even now, balconies and windows remain unsafe,” she said.
Arappor Iyakkam placed 10 demands before the government, including immediate repair of unsafe buildings, regular supply of clean drinking water, regulated power supply, functional lifts, proper sewage systems, round-the-clock medical facilities, improved bus connectivity, local employment opportunities, action against drug abuse with rehabilitation measures, and a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism.
Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan said serious construction defects identified earlier had not been addressed. “An IIT–Madras inspection found that contractors used 15 bags of sand for every bag of cement, instead of the permitted six,” he alleged.
Several residents spoke emotionally about daily life inside the tenements. One resident said water leakage had persisted for two years. “If you knock the door it shakes, if you tap the wall it crumbles. If you scratch it, your nail just sinks in,” the resident said, alleging that authorities resorted to temporary patchwork after media attention and then stopped responding altogether.
Urban poor from #Chennai narrate gory tales from city’s resettlement colony that’s plagued by structural and civic issues.
A woman lost her son after he fell from a window of 7th floor that had no safety railings.
Another woman’s father fell inside the lift gap when the lift… pic.twitter.com/arLWFDMQul
— Omjasvin M D (@omjasvinMD) December 21, 2025
An elderly resident spoke about alcohol abuse and harassment. “If we question them, they come to hit us. By the time police arrive, no one is there,” he said. He also described flooding inside his ground-floor flat due to a leaking overhead water tank and unsafe common areas. “In Ayanavaram we lived peacefully. From there, they brought us here near the cemetery and dumped us. When we ask why, they say this is ‘Dravidian model’ rule,” he said.
A senior citizen almost teared up when he said drug menace among youth was rampant in #Perumbakkam resettlement colony and the youngsters are even hitting elderly people when they question them. There’s been no action by police too, he says. https://t.co/528ar2AdTD pic.twitter.com/mGjSBezTu7
— Omjasvin M D (@omjasvinMD) December 21, 2025
Residents said the protest was not political but an appeal for basic dignity and safety. They warned that unless authorities addressed the issues in a sustained and accountable manner, thousands of families in Chennai’s resettlement colonies would continue to live in unsafe and degrading conditions.
Source: Times of India
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
