Families evicted for road project, suffer living in tin-sheet houses

Nine Narikuravar families evicted for road project in Sivaganga yet to receive promised houses, living in cramped conditions.

Nine families belonging to Narikuravar community, who were evicted from their houses at Palamazhai Nagar in Sivaganga district in 2024 for a road project, are yet to receive houses as assured by the district administration. 

To control the entry of heavy vehicles into Sivaganga town, it was planned to lay a bypass road along Tirupattur road, from Kanjirangal till Keezhkandani on Manamadurai road. The Highways Department had allocated ₹109.51 crore for laying the 10.5 km stretch. 

Following the commissioning of the first phase of the bypass road, works were started to lay the stretch from Kanjirangal to Kalkulam on Ilayangudi road at a cost of ₹77.16 crore.  To facilitate construction, concrete houses of nine Narikuravar families residing on Palamazhai Nagar were evicted.  

Though they were allocated alternative lands for building houses, they lacked the wherewithal. L. Sundarapandian, one of the residents, said that there were about 400 of them residing there.  “Following our request, the district administration constructed makeshift houses using tin sheets. Though the houses were sufficient to keep our belongings and cook food, we find them very cramped to accommodate all the family members.  

In addition, the tin sheets - the walls and ceiling- radiated heat and it was unbearable even during night, Mr. Sundarapandian said. 

Due to the unbearable heat and insufficient space inside the makeshift iron sheet houses, the residents were living in tents pitched outside, he added.