Miscreants swarm unoccupied flats in Vyasarpadi TNUHDB building; residents demand better security
The 13-storey TT Block in the TNUHDB building houses 466 families. Many houses on the 13th floor are now taken over by miscreants to partake in illegal activities.
Water tanks sans lid at the TNUHDB building in Vyasarpadi; an empty flat littered with syringes
CHENNAI: Infrastructure issues aside, residents of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board complex in Sathyamoorthy Nagar, Vyasarpadi, are grappling with fear as the unoccupied flats on the topmost floor have become a hotbed of anti-social activities.
The 13-storey TT Block in the TNUHDB building houses 466 families. Many houses on the 13th floor are now taken over by miscreants to partake in illegal activities. Broken doors, discarded liquor bottles, used syringes and dirty mats with pillows are part of the unseemly vista the 13th floor beholds. The lack of CCTVs in the building is the loophole culprits exploit to their advantage.
Social activist LM Jaiganesh iterated on the issues and pointed out the problem areas to DT Next, "Unauthorised people occupied the 13th floor of the housing board and turned it into a den of drug consumption and other illicit activities. For the safety of women and children, the doors of the unoccupied houses should remain locked and CCTV cameras must be installed. Thefts are reported often as well, a security guard must be appointed for public safety."
Miscreants are bringing in women during late night hours and the issue goes unchecked, alleged a resident.
Apart from such troublemakers, residents rue that their regular grievances are not addressed. One water tank is allotted for two flats, but none of them has a lid. Many residents suffer from skin allergies and rashes as the water is used for domestic purposes. Yokesh, a resident of the TT Block, said he had to spend Rs 3,000 to treat his skin allergies.
The elevators in the building often malfunction as well. Only two out of the six elevators in the apartment are in working condition, and often the lights are broken too. "Being a woman, without lights, it's hard for me to reach the 10th floor by lift. So I climb 10 flights of stairs," a woman resident shared her safety concerns.
Even mild showers make the walls leaky and the gap between the compound wall and the road also concerns the residents.
"We ordered lids for the water tank, and the rooms on the 13th floor will be cleaned and locked. Also, the installation of CCTVs is under our plan. Leaking arrest complaints are registered, and the compound wall will be ready within a week," said a TNHUDB official.
