B IN U COM

Building Inclusive Urban Communities

CASE STUDY
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND
RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A
TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT

Janani Thiagarajan – 2017

B IN U COM
Building Inclusive Urban Communities

CASE STUDY
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND
RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A
TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT

Janani Thiagarajan – 2017

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Contact:
Department of Architecture,
KAHE - Karpagam Academy of
Higher Education, Coimbatore, India
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kahedu.edu.in

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CASE STUDY
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT

ABSTRACT

The intent of this case study is to understand the

impact of social housing programmes as a tool to
reduce further proliferation of informal settlements
in the context of Coimbatore city. It also aims to
comprehend the slum with regard to physical,
socio-cultural, economic and policy parameters so
that one can appreciate and understand its signifi-
cance in the city. With regard to this the following
research questions may be pertinent: (i) What was
the intention behind the implementation of the
social housing programme? (ii) How does the policy
relate to the people of the slum with respect to their
living habits, culture and economy? (iii) Was it a
success or a failure? What are the reasons attributed
to either of the outcomes? (iv) What further amend-
ments could be made to the existing policy for better
consequences in the future? ◆

“ The intent of this case study is

to understand the impact of
social housing programmes
as a tool to reduce further
proliferation of informal
settlements in the context
of Coimbatore city.”

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
ABBREVIATIONS

ABBREVIATIONS

AIADMK All India Dravida Murpoku Kazhagam

BSUP Basic Services to Urban Poor
CCMC Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation
CCP City Corporate Plan
CDP City Development Plan
CDW Community Development Wing
CMA Commissioner for Municipal Administration
CMC Coimbatore Municipal Corporation
CPHEEO Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization
CSMC Central Monitoring & Sanctioning Committee
DMA Directorate of Municipal Administration
DMK Dravida Murpoku Kazhagam
DPR Detailed Project Report
DTCP Directorate of Town and Country Planning
DU Dwelling Unit
EWS Economically Weaker Section
GOI Government of India
GOTN Government of Tamil Nadu
HUDCO Housing and Urban Development Corporation
ISP Integrated Sanitation Programme
JNNURM Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission
LIG Lower Income Group
LPA Local Planning Authority
MHUPA Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
MMDA Madras Metropolitan Development Authority
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MoUD Ministry of Urban Development
MUDP Madras Urban Development Project
NSG National Steering Group
PIU Project Implementation Unit

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CASE STUDY
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT

CONTENTS

Abstract 3
Abbreviations 4

PART 1
Introduction 7
1.1 Context 7
1.2 Research Questions 7
1.3 Methodology 8
1.4 Reflection 9

PART 2
Evolution of Housing Policies in Tamil Nadu 10
2.1. Housing policies in Tamil Nadu (1947 – 1977) 10
2.2. The Political Agenda 12
2.3. World Bank Aided Reforms 12
2.4. Summary 15

PART 3
TNHB Housing Scheme: A Case of Siddhapudhur 16
3.1. Introduction 16
3.2. Site Planning 18
3.3. Infrastructure 22
3.4. Policy Outlook 25
3.5. Conclusion 26

PART 4
Jnnrum in Coimbatore: An Overview 27
4.1. Introduction to JNNURM 27
4.2. JNNURM – Urban Infrastructure & Governance (UIG) 29
4.3. JNNURM – Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) 30

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CASE STUDY
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT

CONTENTS

PART 5
Jnnurm (BSUP) Resettlement Scheme: Case of Ammankulam Housing Colony 32
5.1. Introduction 32
5.2. Site Planning 34
5.3. Infrastructure 39
5.4. Policy Outlook 42
5.5. Conclusion 46

PART 6
Jnnurm (BSUP) In Situ Construction Scheme: Case of Balasubramaniam Nagar 47
6.1. Introduction 47
6.2. Site Planning 48
6.3. Infrastructure 50
6.4. Policy Outlook 52
6.5. Conclusion 53

PART 7
Reflections 54
7.1. Causes of policy failures 54
7.2. Policy components and implementation status 54
7.3. Comparative Analysis 59

PART 8
Towards Future Development 61

References 63

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 1 – INTRODUCTION

PART 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Context The Jawaharlal Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),

Urban reforms on shelters have been propagated launched by the central government in 2005,
in Tamil Nadu since independence to address the provided assistance to the Coimbatore Municipal
housing issues in the State. The initial reforms con- Corporation by mobilizing funds for urban projects
centrated on meeting the housing demands of all and human resources capacity building. It has
people in general. Over the course of urbanization brought forth significant changes in slum housing
there emerged a category of people who required and has affected the bureaucratic functioning of the
the attention of the state more than others and came local governments.
to be known as the “Urban Poor”. The next stage of
shelter policies was centered on the Urban Poor and 1.2 Research Questions
thus the legacy of pro poor reform was born. This case study intends to understand the impact
of social housing programme as a tool to reduce
Pro poor reforms, especially in the context of slum further proliferation of informal settlements in the
housing, have been in the policy agenda of the State context of Coimbatore city. It also aims to explore
since 1971. What started as mere slum housing the effect of these housing policies on the poor and
has, over the decades, developed different models the institutional responsibilities of the government/
of providing shelter to the under privileged. Huge parastatal agencies.
amounts of funds were allocated towards these
programmes for the construction of homes and the The case study attempts to answer the following
accompanying infrastructure such as water supply, questions:
sanitation etc. These policies greatly affected the I. How does the policy relate to the people of the
lives of millions across the state and even had the slum with respect to their living habits and
power to influence the politics and governance of culture?
the State. II. What are the basic problems faced by the
government during project implementation and
Coimbatore, a second-tier city, is currently con- completion?
fronted with problems of providing basic infrastruc- III. What is the implementation efficiency of the
ture and housing at the rate of its urbanization. The all the reform agendas stated in the policy
rapid rate of development since 2000 has exacer- document?
bated the city’s urban problems, particularly in the IV. What changes, pertaining to housing and
realms of environmental degradation and housing infrastructure, were brought about by the
for the urban poor. Though pro poor reforms, in housing policies?
the form of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Act, have V. What are the factors that were responsible for
been underway in the city since the 1970s, it was the success or failure of the project?
only from 2005 onwards that large investments were As this case study is limited to the City of Coimbatore,
made in developing urban infrastructure. detailed aspects of project finances are not explored.

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 1 – INTRODUCTION

1.3 Methodology decisive proof of problems and to provide quantified

The first step in the case study was to identify poten- data so that a sound judgment could be made on the
tial policy affecting resettlement sites, preferably efficiency of housing programmes.
within the city limits. The cases were required to
be different from one another in terms of policy or - Group Discussions
housing implementation models. Pilot studies were Workshops were conducted on site in the form of
conducted at various sites (which were surprisingly awareness programs to build trust with the inhabit-
few in number) to achieve a basic understanding of ants. IT created a platform wherein all the inhabitants
the settlements. From this list, three were selected: could gather at one place and share their experiences
I. Siddhapudhur – as one of the oldest resettlement and views about their problems, both at community
schemes and which is currently facing the pres- and individual levels. These programmes helped the
sures of redevelopment people be at ease with the research team and entrust
II. AmmanKulam – a recently completed scheme them with information.
under JNNURM that employed resettlement
modes as an alternative to slum housing Focus group discussions were considered to be a
III. Balasubramaniam Nagar – a scheme under the more effective tactic in the case of informal settle-
JNNURM that was based on in situ construction ments. They were conducted after the workshops
of homes wherein the people were asked to talk about their
The three cases demonstrate a hierarchy of housing problems on a public forum. Depending on the
policies that developed over time and presented a number of people corroborating with a specific issue,
good example for comparative studies. the gravity of the problem could be comprehended.
This helped produce a list of problems a community
Primary Data faced in general. Other informal focus group discus-
Primary data was collected from the people and sions were held during field visits with much smaller
governmental agencies through surveys, discus- groups of respondents. Neighborhood or locality-
sions and interviews. Field visits were conducted on specific problems could be learnt from these dialogs.
a regular basis to gather on site data. The above exercises helped to understand the impact
of the policies on the lives of the residents.
- Surveys
This was done in two stages: a basic pilot survey and - Interviews
an issue-based survey. The former was used to attain Interviews were conducted with government
a general picture of the settlement by understanding officials to understand the institutional work-
the local population and their common difficulties. ing of resettlement projects. These officials were
Based on this pilot survey, specific questionnaires from the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board
relating to policy-related documents and in-depth (TNSCB), the parastatal that was responsible for
nature of the issues were drawn up. Care was taken slum housing projects in the city; Coimbatore City
to make sure that the questionnaire did not digress Municipal Corporation (CCMC); the Community
and only concentrated on the problem statement. Development Wing (CDW), a department under
This was an important lesson learnt after a phase the TNSCB responsible for community welfare of
of poor response from respondents due to the the relocated slum inhabitants; and the JNNURM
extremely lengthy character of the surveys. Maps cell, a unit within the Corporation responsible for
and photographs document housing and existing overseeing the JNNURM projects.
infrastructure. The above was performed to derive

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 1 – INTRODUCTION

The interview questions were pbased on the 1.4 Reflection

project selection, execution and implementation. The first phase in this section is to identify all the
Discussions were held with the officials to under- possible factors responsible for complications
stand the problems they face with the current encountered in social housing schemes. This is done
institutional framework and public relations. Their through a Cause and Effect analysis laid out in a fish
opinions on the performance levels and the effects bone diagram indicating all possible catches in the
of new housing schemes on the housing landscape context of Coimbatore.
of the city were gathered.
The second phase is a comparative analysis that
Secondary Data involves the development of a matrix based on
Secondary data was collected from various docu- specific parameters. These parameters are derived
ments like the City Development Plan, Slum Free from primary data collected from resettlement sites
City Plan of Action, Detailed Project Report of within the city. The matrix is generated from the
AmmanKulam, project status documents from performance levels of each scheme (Siddhapudhur,
JNNURM Cell, policy documents of the Tamil Nadu Ammankulam & Balasubramaniam Nagar) with
Slum Clearance Act 1971 and Basic Services to Urban respect to each of the above parameters. This
Poor (BSUP) and Comptroller Auditor General provides concise information on the strengths and
Reports. Various case studies, scholarly articles and weakness of each scheme. ◆
newspaper reports on the housing schemes scenarios
in Coimbatore were additionally used.

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

PART 2
EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

2.1 Housing policies in Tamil Nadu (1947 – 1977) The City Improvement trust was amalgamated
Urban reforms have been initiated since inde- into the TNHB and all of its powers, assets and
pendence to tackle the effects of urbanization, finances were transferred to the Board. The Board
especially in the cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras assumed the role of an urban planning authority
and Delhi. During the 1940’s the initial effect of with its responsibilities ranging from provision of
urbanization manifested itself solely in the form of infrastructure like housing, water supply, sanitation,
inadequate housing. This period was plagued by the transport etc. to assessing the future growth pattern
consequences of rural urban migration that had led of the city to ensure organized development. It was
to squatters settling under poor living conditions the sole agency that provided all the basic services.
in the urban areas. Thus, the preliminary urban
reforms that were conceived focused only on the TNHB fundamentally addressed the problem of
problem of the housing demand in Madras City. housing in three ways: (I) a housing accommodation
scheme (II) rebuilding scheme (III) rehabilitation
The first reform was the formation of the Madras scheme. Under the housing accommodation scheme,
City Improvement Trust in 1947 which was to the Board acquires new tracts of land, develops basic
“cater to the housing needs of a growing population infrastructure and constructs large scale housing
in Chennai”. (TNHB Handbook) The main objec- colonies. Under the rebuilding scheme, the TNHB
tive of the trust was to address the housing needs identifies neighborhoods or localities where the
especially for the Economically Weaker Sections building conditions are poor (subject to the assess-
and the Low-Income Groups that constituted low ment of the TNHB authorities) and redevelops them
paid government employees. Many housing colonies in situ by reserving open spaces, incorporating
like Nandanam & Foreshore Estate were built in the infrastructure or rebuilding a part of neighbor-
1950s which were either rented out (Rs 3 to Rs 55 hood. The rehabilitation scheme is to create housing
a month depending on the location) or offered on with working environments for people affected by
a rent to buy scheme. The rents from the housing the TNHB’s improvement schemes. Other projects
colonies and grants from the corporation ensured undertaken by the Board were: street improvement
the financial stability of the trust. schemes, city or village expansion schemes, land
development and other general infrastructure
Over the years the demand for housing grew, upgrades like public health and sanitation.
not only in Madras but also in other districts of
Tamil Nadu. This led to the formation of Tamil During this period, evicting slum dwellers was a
Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) in 1961, a state common method of acquiring land for development.
level agency which was responsible for providing These evictions were facilitated by the Tamil Nadu
housing to all categories of people in the state, Slum Improvement (Acquisition of Land) Act,
irrespective of their income level. The objective was 1954, which left the slum inhabitants with no option
“housing for all”. except to leave their lands. The only right extended to

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

the citizens for voicing their objections was to place the city of slums within seven years, to prevent
these before a tribunal within six months of the evic- new slums from taking shape and to provide basic
tion notice. In essence, these development projects amenities for slum dwellers until their huts could
were not oriented towards community participation. be cleared and replaced with tenements. (Raman N,
The projects were financed through grants from Vol XLVI, 2011)
Central or State government, loans from lending
agencies, levy of betterment charges and through the The TNSCB has the power to classify any area as a
proceeds of the sales or rents from built spaces. slum and is responsible for undertaking improve-
ment works in them. The two basic approaches
Meanwhile the shelter policies at the Centre followed taken by the board are (I) to execute improvement
the lines of the state government till the 1970s. The works within the slum or (II) to undertake clearance
Centre equally emphasized a top down approach and conduct re development work. The board also
wherein the state governments were responsible for had the power to acquire land for development on
the provision of housing to the weaker sections at which to resettle the inhabitants. Surprisingly, the
subsidized rates. It was a regime that viewed housing act itself does not specify anything regarding the
as a welfare good to be endowed upon the people. regularization of tenure or the kind of security to be
This was evidenced by the fact that most of the state provided to the beneficiaries.
governments, including Tamil Nadu, modelled their
slum clearance acts based on the national Slum Despite the TNSCB being vested with these pow-
Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act of 1956. ers, there were very few evictions or resettlements
(Raman N, Vol XLVI, 2011) throughout the state. The focus was primarily on
in situ tenement construction regardless of the
Up to the 1970s, the TNHB continued to be respon- location of the slums. The approach followed by
sible for the organized development of all basic ser- TNSCB involved clearing the slums and resettling
vices in Tamil Nadu, as stated previously. But given the population in four-story tenements constructed
the increase in the number of slums and squatters on the cleared site (World Bank, 1977).
in the State and the diversification of the needs of
the city, two important state acts were passed in This extensive in situ tenement construction was
1971 namely: The Tamil Nadu Town and Country in clear contrast to the central government’s policy
Planning Act, 1971 and Tamil Nadu Slum Areas during that time in the early 70s. It was understood
(Improvement And Clearance) Act, 1971. Under that “given financial constraints, the high levels of
the town planning act, the Madras Metropolitan subsidies provided under previous programs were
Development Authority (MMDA) was established no longer sustainable and publicly-provided housing
to h urban planning agendas like land use planning could not alone be expected to solve the slum problem”
& transportation. (Mathur O P, 2009). Thus the central policies’ focus
shifted to in situ upgrading of slums (early 1970s)
The Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement and and to the site and services schemes (early 1980s).
Clearance) Act 1971 was specially created to allevi- The former existing settlements were upgraded
ate the issue of slums in the state. Under this act the without requiringany clearance, with beneficiaries
Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) was granted a land parcel with the basic infrastructure
established, which was an agency separate from upon which they would build their homes. It seems
the TNHB, to deal with the problems of slums. The that the role of the government was more of an
stated goal of the organization was to fully clear enabler than a provider.

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

2.2 The Political Agenda The scenario portrayed a blatant image of an entire
The change in the shelter policies from 1971 are system being twisted to attract the votes of the poor.
highly interlinked with the political atmosphere of Thus it is quite apparent that politics, in Tamil Nadu,
Tamil Nadu. Since independence Tamil Nadu was has always been closely interrelated with the housing
governed by the Indian National Congress, which policies of the state since the 1970s. Unfortunately,
was also the ruling party in the central government. this issue plagues the framework of the administra-
However, in 1967 the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam tion even to this day, with vote bank politics carving
(DMK), a regional party based on Dravidian ide- a divide between the people and the administration.
ologies, came to power in Tamil Nadu. During their
regime the state government policies were strategi- 2.3 World Bank Aided Reforms
cally modified according to the national government The World Bank entered the realm of urban projects
policies depending on their usefulness for political in Tamil Nadu in 1977 through the Madras Urban
gain (Raman N, Vol XLVI, 2011). Development Projects (MUDP I). Madras was then
considered to be “a suitable place to test and dem-
Till the new government came into place, the shelter onstrate the reformist theory of urban development,
policies had not especially concentrated on garner- especially housing, for the developing countries”
ing local support; a lot of evictions and resettlements (World Bank 1988, quote Rutul Joshi 2003).
were initiated by the then government citing reasons
of public interest. The new DMK-headed regime, The Bank’s solution to the urban problems existing
on the other hand, adopted the so-called pro poor then were through a series of policy documents:
policies, in which a lot of freebies – cheap rice, noon Urbanization (1972), Sites and Services (1974) and
meal schemes, free education, agrarian reforms, job Housing (1975) (Raman N, Vol XLVI, 2011). Earlier, the
opportunities etc. - were doled out. The secret behind state housing policy aimed to replace “‘unacceptable’
DMK’s rise to and stay in power was the policy of and ‘sub-standard’ living conditions with ‘acceptable’
distribution of short-term goods and services which and ‘formally planned’ solutions” (Anand 1992: 2045).
attracted masses of people to the state. (Sanghamitra The focus of the state was only on building tenements
Nath, European Scientific Journal, June 2015). that were deemed “acceptable”. The Bank adopted an
approach of “technocratic neoliberalism” (Raman N,
The housing policies framed in the 1970s protected Vol XLVI, 2011) that encouraged free markets, indus-
the informal settlements against eviction, irrespec- trialization, and profit accumulation. In the context of
tive of the nature of the squatters. Habitations on housing policy, it meant the elimination of subsidies
objectionable lands like water bodies and low-lying and the introduction of an affordability-cost recovery-
areas along the coast were legalized and multi sto- replicability model. (Sanghamitra Nath, European
ried tenements were constructed in situ. This was Scientific Journal, June 2015). Apart from financial
a step towards courting the votes of these settlers. sustainability, an important aspect of the reform
Extensive advertising was carried out on the tene- pushed by the World Bank in these projects was to
ments constructed by the TNSCB, especially for the insulate government bureaucracies and their policy-
fishing communities in Nochikuppam, Dooming making mechanisms against political interference.
Kuppam etc in Chennai. Tenements were largely (Status Report on Urban Reforms in Tamil Nadu)
constructed in areas t considered to be the strong-
hold of the ruling party, and the rent for apartments Madras Urban Development Project I (MUDP I)
constructed for low wage government employees was was the first internationally assisted urban project to
reduced from 10% of their salary to Rs10 a month. be implemented in Tamil Nadu. Its main objective

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

was to develop and promote low-cost solutions to Though shelter targets were specified for Coimbatore
Madras' problems in the sectors of shelter, employ- – 7500 plots under the Land Servicing Program
ment, water supply, sewerage and transport, and & 12000 Household construction under the slum
particularly to make the investments responsive to improvement programme – there is insufficient data
the needs of the urban poor.” (World Bank, 1977) to check the implementation status. However, as
This project aimed to ensure holistic development per the PROJECT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
of the city, bringing aspects of economy, governance REPORT, 2007 by the World Bank, TNUDP I was
and basic infrastructure in tandem with each other. rated to be moderately satisfactory given its good
This was the termed Integrated Urban Development performance in the Shelter Schemes.
(IUD). Housing supply was boosted through the sites
and services scheme while slum improvement was TNUDP-II marks an important shift for the
executed by means of in situ slum upgrading (provi- Bank from lending for government-led integrated
sion of basic infrastructure). There was extensive urban development to lending for private, market-
cost recovery, particularly in the slum improvement oriented financial intermediation for urban invest-
and site and services components, to ensure project ment. (World Bank, 2007). Its approach was along
replicability. This was further extended into MUDP the lines of (I) improving the capacity of Urban
II (1983 – 1988) which included modules relating to Local Bodies (ULB) (II) mobilizing resources
fiscal innovations and governance. for basic urban infrastructure development and
(III) securing sustainable funding sources for
The next World Bank assisted scheme was the Tamil urban infrastructure investment. (World Bank,
Nadu Urban Development Project I (TNUDP I) 2005). The aforementioned objectives are realized
which extended to the entire state with Madurai, through three components: (A) Line of Credit (B)
Coimbatore, Trichy and Salem being prioritized Integrated Sanitation Program & (C) Institutional
after Madras. This scheme presented a three-prong Development.
objective with regard to three aspects:
I. Institutional: The project mandated the establish- The Line of Credit Component aids in financing
ment of the Municipal Urban Development Fund basic urban infrastructure services like water
(MUDF)with a loan of Rs167Crores, which would supply, sanitation, solid waste management, roads,
be responsible for financing the expenditures transport, sites and services, area development,
incurred for service delivery, civil works, project and other remunerative and non- remunerative
maintenance& capacity building. This fund urban infrastructure, sponsored by eligible ULBs
could be availed by 80 municipalities in 10 urban and statutory boards. (World Bank, 2007). The
agglomerations of the state. (World Bank, 1988). funding was channeled through Tamil Nadu Urban
II. Shelter: The objective was to finance the Development Fund (TNUDF), a trust established
construction of serviced residential plots, in 1996 under The Indian Trust Act 1882. TNUDF
core housing and community facilities and was a public-private venture with the public stake-
provision of shelter loans. This comprised the holder being the Government of Tamil Nadu (49%)
Slum Improvement Programme (SIP), Land and private stakeholders being ICICI (21%), HDFC
Readjustment Techniques (LASER) and Guided (15%) & IL&FS (15%). This reform was a response
Urban Development (GUD). to the poor performance of the earlier Municipal
III. Traffic Management & Transport: This agenda Urban Development Fund (MUDF).
focused on the improvement of roadways and
improvement of the public transportation scheme. Its responsibilities were:

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

• To finance urban infrastructure projects decentralization of functions from the state to the
• promote private sector participation in infra- local bodies. Some of the institutional development
structure projects through public-private components planned at the local government level
partnerships included an upgrade of the municipal accounting
• creation of a grant fund that would ensure avail- system, e- governance initiatives, assistance with
ability of infrastructure to the urban poor project design, and implementation and prepara-
• Enable the ULBs to raise their own funding and tion of a City Corporate Plan (CCP). A Program
establishing fiscal discipline. Management Unit (PMU) also had to be established
The TNUDF consisted of a World Bank line of credit to ensure the implementation of the institutional
for USD $ 80 million, mobilization by the Fund for development component.
USD $ 25 million, co-financing by the participating
Financial Institutions for USD $ 25 million and TNUDP II performed relatively better than TNUDP
a contribution by the government of Tamil Nadu I, although there were a few setbacks. Small ULBs
and the ULBs of USD $ 48 million amounting to could not raise the desired capital for their infra-
USD $ 173 million. (Krishnan, 2005). Tamil Nadu structure projects since large financing institutions
Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited were not keen on investing with them. Moreover,
(TNUIFSL) was appointed as the fund manager of these large institutions had to pay taxes over the
the TNUDF. income generated from the investments. The ISP
largely failed due to the poor rate of cost recovery
The Integrated Sanitation Programme (ISP) was and there was no proper channel to manage institu-
another subcomponent that involved the creation tional development.
of sanitary complexes with user charges. While the
Bank provided up to 70% of the total cost, the ULB’s Nevertheless, the TNUDP II succeeded in creating
provided the land for the creation of these com- a new model for urban reform that stimulated a
plexes. User charges were expected to cover regular market-based financing model for urban projects
maintenance like electricity, with waste removal in place of a government-dependent one. With the
paid for by the municipality. Unfortunately the role of the state government shifted from provider
sanitation scheme was not as successful as expected, to enabler, the responsibilities of urban development
particularly in the panchayat areas, owing to the projects fell to the Urban Local Bodies.
inefficiency of user charge collection.
The Third Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project
The Institutional Development component was (TNUDP-III) sought to take forward and scale
quite successful since the TNUDF succeeded in up the achievements of the TNUDP-II in terms of
opening the ULBs to broader capital markets enhancing ULB capacity, improving urban service
through innovative schemes like tax free municipal delivery in a sustainable manner and expanding
bonds, pooled financing and private-public partner- financial resource mobilization beyond government
ships. By means of the grant fund, the TNUDF was budgetary sources. (World Bank, 2014). The com-
able to assist some ULBs in exploring innovative ponents under this scheme were downsized to only
project structures and new sources of financing. two: (I) the institutional development component &
(Krishnan, 2005). Furthermore, the improvement (II) urban investment component. The former was
of ULB in terms of technical and managerial to be supervised by the Commissioner for Municipal
capacity was consistent with the 74th Amendment Administration (CMA) while the latter was to be
of the Constitution of 1992 which spurred the managed through the TNUDF.

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 2 – EVOLUTION OF HOUSING POLICIES IN TAMIL NADU

Implementation of the institutional development 2.4 Summary

component was satisfactory, with many activities Despite the various efforts initiated by the Bank, the
such as training of stakeholders, studies (e.g., City following major issues impacted the implementa-
Development Plans, GIS mapping, development of tion of World Bank funded projects:
manuals etc.) progressing reasonably well in time. • Political influences: As explained earlier, vote
(World Bank, 2014). Furthermore, the CMA was bank politics interfered with the basic ideolo-
given powers to operate a Project Preparation Fund gies of the Bank that insisted on a return & cost
(PPF) with a starting fund of Rs 30 Crores which recovery-based development model.
would be used for preparing feasibility reports, sub- • Tenure Security: Despite MUDP I insisting on
contracting & project designing. the provision of tenure to the beneficiaries of the
site & services scheme and the slum improve-
The performance of TNUDF was given a satisfac- ment programme, the paperwork is still not in
tory rating with loan recovery rates close to 100%. place.
Capital raising techniques were along the lines of • Community Exclusion: There was virtually no
TNUDP II, namely raising municipal bonds, direct link between the marginal communities and the
capital recovery from users and innovative public- Government; the benefits of the projects could
private partnership modes like DBOT (Design Build not be communicated to the inhabitants properly.
Operate & Transfer). This led to the development of the Community
Development Wing which still exists today.
However, the project was restructured twice in the • Lack of Cooperation from Nodal Agencies: The
course of the project for the following agendas: (I) bank faced resistance from all nodal agencies,
Chennai Urban Transport sub component (August initially due to the political allegiance of the
2009) & (II) loan extension from March 31st 2012 to high-ranking officials. This led to delay in land
March 31st 2014 due to impending sewerage works. acquisition and lack of will to evict squatters.
Delays occurred in both these components due to • Cost Recovery: The efficiency of rent collection
(I) land acquisition for urban sub-projects; and (II) and user charges from the resettlement colonies
complexity involved in procurement and implemen- was very poor given the culture of freebies in
tation of sewerage sub-projects. (World Bank, 2014) the state. Excessive government subsidies for
development works equally made the projects
unsustainable. ◆

15
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

PART 3
TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

This section aims to analyze the housing policies 3.1 Introduction

propagated by the TNHB in the 1970s before the The Siddhapudhur resettlement colony is embed-
Slum Clearance Act was enforced. This is a clear case ded in the busiest region of the city, alongside
of one of the oldest housing schemes in Coimbatore the commercial district of Gandhipuram. It is
when housing policies were in a state of infancy. It bounded by the VKK Menon road on the North
presents the current state of housing settlements and N G Narayanaswamy road on the South as
enforced by the housing schemes many decades ago. indicated in Figure 4.1. The colony was established
in the early 70s, nearly 50 years ago, to house the
To get a firsthand experience of the place, field visits Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) residing at
were organized and interviews were conducted a nearby locality called Kamarajapuram. This was
with the local leaders and residents to understand a time when housing demand was on the rise due
the impact of the policy. The local authorities like to immigration, and housing colonies were built by
the TNSCB and TNHB were also consulted to learn the government for those who could not access the
about the current situation of Siddhapudhur from an housing market i.e. the EWS & LIG. The parastatal
institutional perspective. However, details regard- body in charge of executing the above scheme was
ing its implementation in the 1970s are unclear due the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB). Though
to unavailability of data. the actual date of commencement of the work is

Figure 1
Location of Sidhapudhur in Coimbatore city

Source: goo17 \l 16393

16
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

unclear, it was completed in 1973 during the DMK themselves, there are a few families who dwell in the
regime. However, over the years the colony itself colony on a rental basis. Almost the entire population
developed into a slum owing to unavailability of is affiliated to the Hindu religion (Scheduled Caste)
space for the growing households and the incoming with the exception of a few Muslim households.
migrant population who come to the city in search Their religious affiliation is displayed by the presence
of new employment opportunities. of small under-the-tree temples and the festivities
celebrated. Furthermore, Tamil is the predominant
- Locational Advantage language spoken here followed by Telugu (1 in every
The site for the project was selected primarily 10 households). The main reason why the Telugu
because the land was previously owned by the people migrated to places like Kamarajapuram and
government. It is also close to the main commercial areas along the border of Kerala was the availability
zone of Coimbatore, major transportation facilities, of employment opportunities. The immigrants
a higher secondary school and an array of other engaged in occupations like leather and skin tan-
social infrastructural amenities like hospitals, col- ning, a common business in the city during those
leges etc making it a suitable location for the ben- times. These people spread into otherimportant
eficiaries. But little can be surmised about whether places like the streets of Sidhapudhur, Ukkadam
the government had considered these factors when and Oppanakaarar after a few decades. Hence, these
selecting the resettlement location. Telugu-speaking households seem to have lived here
between 5 – 30 years, making them relatively new in
- The People the neighborhood. The residents claim that despite
The Sidhapudhur housing colony is currently home these differences in religion, caste and language,
to about 2000 people, most of whose families have there is complete participation in all the festivities of
been living here for generations. Though a good the colony by all families alike. This suggests a sense
number of dwelling units are occupied by the owners of communal harmony among the people here.

Figure 2
Literacy and employment distribution

CASTE DISTRIBUTION

SC

ST

OBC

BC

Source: Infographics by author

17
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

The literacy rate is 96%, with most of the people 3.2 Site Planning
knowing how to read and write, and a little over half The total area of the housing colony is 2.4 hectares.
the population has received formal education . There Including the apartment (216 dwelling units), the
is no discrimination in literacy with respect to gen- density is about 120 dwelling units per hectare, which
der as both boys and girls are enrolled in the nearby is the acceptable standard in Coimbatore. But the
government school. However, there is a slight drop extra 318 encroached tenements have resulted in over-
in college enrollment for the boys compared to the crowding, raising the density to 225 dwelling units
girls as they begin working after high school. People per hectare. The figure ground map illustrates this
here are employed in various sectors stretching from phenomenon, where ground coverage is literally 85%.
formal office jobs with steady monthly incomes to
menial jobs with low paying daily wages. There is The main approach to the site is via VKK Menon
a polarity in the employment scenario between the road and NG Narayanasamy Street, from which
municipal workers and coolies presenting a picture narrow pathways lead to the entrance of the apart-
of the have and have-nots. In addition, there have ments. The housing complex currently consists
been complaints from recently graduating students of 36 blocks of multi storied apartments with
about not being able to find jobs, which indicates encroachments in the form of small huts inter-
unemployment in the younger generation. spersed between them.

Figure 3
Aerial View of Siddhapudur

Source: goo17 \l 16393

18
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

Figure 4
Encroachment map

RESIDENTIAL UNITS
RESIDENTIAL ENCROCHMENTS
LOCAL STREET
COLLECTOR ROAD

Encroachments occur on the setbacks from the plot encroached part of the site near the rear, on the
line and in the spaces between the buildings, South Eastern side, is used for parking 4 wheelers
resulting in the narrowing of pathways from 6 and 2 wheelers. Areas initially allocated for land-
meters to 1.8 meters, obstructing the flow of vehic- scape were either encroached upon or converted
ular traffic within the complex. The only non- into an informal dump yard.

Figure 5
Pathways within the site

Source: Infographics by Vijay Krishna

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

19
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

- Housing and had one room that functioned as hall &

Each typical apartment block was a G + 2 (9 m) kitchen, a small balcony (for drying clothes) and
storied RCC structure that housed two dwelling a toilet (with separate bath). The exterior of the
units per floor i.e. 6 dwelling units per block. apartments were in a state of ruin with exposed
There is a central stairwell for each block (no reinforcements of columns & beams, cracks on
elevators) which is flanked by one apartment walls, flaking paint and vegetation growing on
on either side. Each dwelling unit was 20 sqm the building surface.

Figure 6
Typical plan and section of an apartment block

Figure 7
Interior View of a Dwelling Unit

Source: Infographics by Vijay Krishna

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

20
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

The encroached houses are constructed as the Typically, all these homes have one multipurpose
space constraints of that particular environment room & kitchen with no attached toilet. But a few
allow. The older homes, which are near the arterial households along the main road have constructed
roads, had mud walls while the more recent ones, crude toilets as an extension of their house. This
located farther inside, were made out of brick. But in toilet is situated directly over the storm water drains
general, all the encroached huts have a sloping roof on the road and all the waste produced is directly let
made of either tiles or asbestos to ward off rain water. into them.

Figure 8
Exterior view of Housing Colony

In the interviews conducted with the residents of the be the story behind the encroachment everywhere.
apartment-type homes, there were extensive com- There is also little faith in the quality of construc-
plaints about the inadequate size of these dwelling tion as residents face danger from the disintegrating
units. Oneresident claims: “When I came here with buildings. Chunks of cement concrete from lintel
my husband it was ok. After my children got mar- and projected balconies have been reported to fall
ried there is no space in this home for their families. off, posing a threat to the people living on the
Hence they have put up a hut below”. This seems to ground floors.

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

21
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

Figure 9
Dilapidated condition of building

3.3 Infrastructure water once a week for 6 hrs. Each household has to
Multi storied apartments: Despite the upgrade to fetch water from these tanks and store them in their
multi-storied apartments, the housing complex is apartments for drinking purposes. To overcome this
not equipped with an organized water supply system. hassle of carrying water, some of the resourceful
There are no overhead tanks or underground sumps people here have installed large water containers at
to store water. Instead large syntax tanks (carrying the foot of their block, from which water is pumped
potable water) are provided at the end of each narrow to the upper floors through pneumatic pumps. But
pathway along the main road for maximum public basic chores like washing clothes and utensils are
access and ease of filling the tank through tankers. done near common tap points provided by means
These tanks receive potable/ treated corporation of bore wells.

Figure 10
Water supply tank and common wash area

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

22
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

There is a well-laid sanitation system in the complex, Figure 11

with a network of septic tanks and sewage pipelines. Sewage pipelines
Even the toilets are equipped with sanitary fittings.
But due to lack of maintenance, by both the govern-
ment and users, it has fallen into a state of dilapida-
tion. Sewage pipes are broken with effluents leaking
directly onto the wall leading to unhygienic living
conditions and erosion of the built structure.

Storm water drains are not provided within the

colony which adds to the problem of water logging
during the rainy seasons. The dwellers have also
encroached upon the drains along the main road,
further aggravating the issue. Rainwater pipes from
the terraces are broken and ruin the walls. Though
electricity is legally provided to these units, it is
unorganized with loose wires and TV cables hang-
ing between blocks.

Garbage is collected in informal dumps along the

plot lines in the colony despite the fact that there are
two garbage bins provided by the municipality along
the roads. The existing bins overflow with waste due
to inadequate number of bins provided and low
capacity (1100 liters).

Figure 12
Informal Garbage Dump yard

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

23
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

Encroachments: As explained earlier, the encroach- The encroachers, being on the ground, are most
ers are relatives or friends of the apartment dwellers affected due to overflow of septic tanks or water
who have shifted to the ground due to unavailability logging in the rainy seasons. Garbage is dumped
of space. However, some of the encroachments into the same informal dump yards used by the
like small commercial outlets are for reasons of apartment dwellers and government provided bins
occupation. These inhabitants depend on the same along the road. Though most of the residences have
common water taps used by the apartment dwellers legitimate electricity connections, a few of the more
for their daily needs. This dependence on the water recent households have drawn lines either illegally
tanks by both these groups has led to exhaustion of from electric posts or from the apartments, with the
the water resources provided. consent of the owner, on a sharing basis.

A common toilet, situated near the colony, is used by Social Amenities

the encroachers on a pay and use basis (Rs 2 per use). Within the colony there are a few under-the-tree
The residents claim that the public toilet in this locality temples which serve as points of attraction during
is well-maintained on a daily basis by the municipality festive seasons. The neighboring block is a govern-
and hence they do not mind paying for it. However, ment school offering courses from preschool to
since this is only a public toilet, it is not equipped with higher secondary, which is an easy commute for the
washing and ablution facilities like a sanitary complex. school children here. Transportation from here is
Consequently, there was widespread construction of also quite effortless given that the major Bus termi-
informal bathing spaces and in some cases even toilets nal of the city, Gandhipuram Bus Stand, is situated
over the storm water drains. Both toilets, public and right behind the colony.
informal, were not designed with regard to the needs
of the disabled and pregnant women.

Figure 13
Leisure time on road medians

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

24
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

But certain facilities like hospitals and primary munity halls, children’s play areas or dedicated green
health centers are quite far off from here and cannot spaces for parks and gardens in the housing layout.
be approached quickly in an emergency. . There is no This has resulted in the residents taking to the road
space allocated for recreational purposes like com- (on the medians) for their leisurely get-togethers.

Figure 14
Recreation within the Colony

Figure 15
Amman Temple at Siddhapudur

3.4 Policy outlook to create housing for any class of population and
This was a project that was floated nearly fifty years attain lands from the local government to execute
back and represents one of the earliest efforts of the their intended schemes.
state in providing housing. The agency responsible
for the execution of this project was the TNHB, This colony has had political affiliations with the
which was responsible for housing improvement DMK since the 1970s, which continues to date. But
schemes at that time. The Board had the powers whether this political association was the reason

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

25
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 3 – TNHB HOUSING SCHEME: A CASE OF SIDDHAPUDHUR

that won these people favor with the TNHB in the institutional issues they stated “that the unwilling-
70s is a debatable question. Nevertheless, it is quite ness of the people to pay towards maintenance
likely that the scheme was framed in an intention to was the sole reason associations weren’t formed.
reward their supporters. According to the records, Furthermore, the government is still paying for the
the beneficiaries were selected based on their income repair works in Sidhapudhur." An official went on to
level (EWS), identity proof & their proximity to the say that the very reason G + 3 structures were pre-
site in question; land was acquired from Coimbatore ferred was because regulations exempted the provi-
Corporation. Under the scheme, each beneficiary sion of elevators (that required more maintenance
had to make a down payment of Rs.12 per Dwelling charges) for these heights. From a bureaucratic
Unit at the time of occupation, followed by a monthly perspective the floor right system is supposed to
installment of Rs 2 -3 per month. have reduced the burden of the officials in garnering
the community’s support for future development
The owners of the dwelling units were entitled to and still is in favor among governmental agencies.
what is termed “Floor Rights”. It is essentially the As of now there are proposals to re-develop the area
right to own a dwelling in the apartment with no to accommodate the increased population. This
rights whatsoever on the land. This ensures that the involves deliberation on agendas such as beneficiary
government is always in possession of the land so identification, going high rise, community partici-
that redevelopment can be carried out easily in the pation etc.
future. Also. there is no residents association, which
would not only be a representation of the commu- 3.5 Conclusion
nity but also be accountable for the maintenance On the whole, the housing schemes of 1970 pres-
of the colony. Overall, the lack of an association ent an image of how housing colonies can turn to
and the floor rights system has instilled a sense of shanties due to factors like unavailability of space,
alienation in the community, especially with regard neglected infrastructure and lack of ownership.
to the common spaces. Recreational spaces were not incorporated in the
site in spite of regulations mandating them, and
Presently, the entire responsibility borne by the community participation was an agenda that was
TNHB concerning this colony has been transferred virtually unknown then. Overall this is a lesson
to the TNSCB after it was notified as a slum in 2010. from which one can fathom where and how the
When the TNSCB officials were asked about these intentions of the housing policies could go wrong. ◆

26
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 4 – JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

PART 4
JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

4.1 Introduction to JNNURM In spite of large amounts of funding being made

The Jawaharlal Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) available to the state and the ULBs for development
was a nationwide city improvement initiative projects, there were certain conditions associated
launched by the Government of India in Dec. 2005. with availing them. The mission emphasized the
It was initiated to offset the problems associated with compulsory implementation of 13 urban reforms:
urbanization and ensure organized development 7 at the state level, and 6 at the local level, called the
in urban areas not only through the provision of “Mandatory Reforms”. The most significant urban
infrastructure, but also by means of reforming the reform under this heading is the implementation
governance system. Under this mission, funding of of the 74th Amendment to the Constitution that
Rs 80,000 Crores (Budget brief, GOI) were made allocates powers to the local bodies for effective
available by the Government of India to 65 cities functioning. There is another set of 10 “Optional
where development projects would be undertaken. reforms “in which the state, ULB or parastatal
The cities were earmarked with respect to their agency has the freedom to opt for any two reforms
population as per Census 2001: seven mega cities from this set in each year of its implementation.
(population more than 4 million), twenty-eight mil- (JNNURM Overview, 2005)
lion plus cities (population more than 1 million) and
34 identified cities (population less than one million). After the targets and goals are fixed, the state
The duration of the mission was initially spread over government and the ULBs, including the parastatal
a period of seven years from 2005-2012, which was agencies, draw up a Memorandum of Agreement
later extended by another two years till 2014. with the Government of India. The agreement
contains details of the reforms to be adopted and
The main aim of the mission was to provide quality the timeline by when specific reform agendas must
urban infrastructure, improve community partici- be achieved. In other words, the MoA is the objec-
pation, ensure accountability of ULB’s to its citizens tive document that gives an overview of a city’s
and to instill financial sustainability & discipline development works.
in the government (Source).There are two sub mis-
sions under this, namely:(I) Urban Infrastructure The scheme also mandates the preparation of a
& Governance(UIG) & (II) BSUP (Basic Services City Development Plan by the ULB that outlines
to Urban Poor). While the UIG component mainly the vision and strategies to be adopted in the next
deals with the provision of urban infrastructure decade, and helps in identifying areas of concern
like water supply, sewerage, transportation, sanita- within the city. Furthermore, a Detailed Project
tion, storm water drains and redevelopment of core Report (DPR) must be prepared to execute specific
city areas, the BSUP on the other hand focuses on projects. The DPR must highlight details regarding
integrated slum development through the provision the plan of action to be taken in the completion
of housing, basic services and other civic amenities of the project with respect to planning, execution,
to the urban poor. operation and maintenance.

27
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 4 – JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

To summarize: the JNNURM has laid stress on to the SLNA for further scrutiny. In Coimbatore,
the agendas (I) urban infrastructure development: the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, along
creation of infrastructure in pace with fast-tracked with allied agencies, is responsible for all works
future development of cities (II) The Urban Poor: related to UIG. However, in the case of BSUP works,
to make cities habitable by assuring basic services TNSCB is the primary agency since the involvement
to the poor through slum improvements and provi- of CCMC is virtually nonexistent.
sion of civic amenities & (III) urban governance: to
improve urban management for better accountabil- Project Management Units and Project
ity and improved community participation. Implementation Units consisting of technical sup-
port staff were established by the SLNA to assist the
- Institutional framework ULBs with project preparation and implementation.
The JNNURM schemes are headed by the Ministry In addition, a Third Party Independent Review
of Urban Development (MoUD) and Ministry of and Monitoring Agency (TPIMA) consisting of
Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA). professionals could be constituted by the SLNA
At the national level, the National Steering Group for additional support in project assessment.
(NSG) is the apex body under which are two Sub The Central Public Health and Environmental
Mission Directorates (SMD) one each for UIG Engineering Organization (CPHEEO) and Housing
and BSUP. Each of these SMD have a Central and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO)
Monitoring & Sanctioning Committee (CSMC) were appointed as the Technical Advisory Body
that is responsible for the approval of projects sent for the UIG and BSUP schemes respectively at the
from the State. central level.

The apex body at the state level is the State Level Furthermore, the Mission also lays emphasis on
Steering Committee (SLSC) which is responsible capacity building and improvement of human
for prioritizing development projects and monitor- resources in ULBs to enhance their overall per-
ing reform status in the state. It is aided by the State formance. For this task, two agencies were consti-
Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) in supervising the tuted: State Urban Resource & Training Centre
implementation of JNNURM schemes at all stages. at the State level, and Community Resource
Tamil Nadu has two SLNAs namely Tamil Nadu Centre at the ULB/ City level. The responsibility
Urban Finance & Infrastructural Development of these agencies is to implement staff development
Corporation (TUFIDCO) for UIG and programmes like workshops, training, research,
Commissionerate of Municipal Administration Study Visits etc.
(CMA) for BSUP. The SLNA’s role includes support-
ing the ULBs with technical assistance and capacity Finally, a Social Audit is also mandated by which
building, sanctioning & management of funds, the performance level of the project & agency
appraisal of project reports and monitoring the may be estimated, and grievances registered. The
implementation of schemes in the state. auditing comprises three stages: (I) stakeholder
meetings (II) regular social audits & (III) informa-
At the bottom of the hierarchical system are the tion dissemination. The Audits are conducted by
Urban Local Bodies & Parastatal agencies, which are an Independent Facilitating Agency (IFA) which is
in charge of preparing project proposals, implemen- appointed by the SLNA.
tation and monitoring. These authorities prepare
the Detailed Project Reports which are submitted

28
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 4 – JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

4.2 JNNURM – Urban Infrastructure & Figure 17

Governance (UIG) JNNURM funded UIG projects in Tamil Nadu
Based on the population selection criteria, three cities
qualified under the JNNURM scheme in Tamil Nadu: LITERACY LEVEL
Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy. A total of
48 projects were approved for Tamil Nadu, of which 35
alone were in Chennai. Of the four cities, Coimbatore
was deemed to be the “industrial Mega City” and vari-
ous initiatives were propagated under the JNNURM
Iliterate
scheme. It had five projects under the UIG, of which Pre School
two concentrated on water supply, one each in Solid Primary
Waste Management, Underground Sewerage & Storm High School
Water Drains and none in transportation. Higher Secondary
College

The total budget for development and infrastructural

works was estimated at Rs 3053.96 Crores including
both the UIG and BSUP components. According to
the regulations, 50% of the project cost was to be
borne by central government, 20% by the state gov-
ernment and the remaining 30% by the ULB. Table 1
illustrates the projects sanctioned under the scheme.

Table 1
Details of JNNURM (UIG) Projects in Coimbatore

S. NO DETAILS OF SCHEME ESTIMATE NO OF DATE OF

AMOUNT PACKAGES * APPROVAL
(IN RS CRORE) BY CSMC
I. Projects already sanctioned **
1 Dedicated Water Supply – Pillur II - Scheme 113.74 6 28.12.2006
2 Integrated Solid Waste Management 96.51 10 17.04.2007
3 Underground Sewerage System 377.13 6 28.06.2007
4 Upgradation of Basic Services to the Urban Poor 443.55 -- 2008-09
(Phase I, Phase II & Phase III)
5 Construction of Roadside storm water drains 180 7 28.08.2009
Total 1210.93
II. Pipeline Projects (to be sanctioned) ***
1 Revamping of Water Supply Distribution system & Provision of 24/7 Water supply 90 1 28.10.2013
2 Storm Water Drain and Natural Drain Improvements -- --
Roadside Drain (Phase II) 461.45
Natural Drain (Phase III) 389.25
3 Preservation of Water Bodies and Rainwater Harvesting 134.16 -- --
4 Integrated Traffic Management – BRTS, Flyovers, ROBs, Roads etc 768.17 -- --
Total 1843.03
GRAND TOTAL 3053.96

* Packages are sub-components of the projects that are awarded to individual contractors
** Sanctioned before 2011
*** Currently under the approval process

Source : Ongoing scheme details, JNNURM, collected from JNNURM Cell, Coimbatore Corporation

29
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 4 – JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

From the above Table it is clear that the emphasis only “Notified slums” were considered eligible by
was more on the UIG component compared to the government for the BSUP scheme. There were
the BSUP, given that it accounts for about 60% of primarily two approaches towards the informal
the sanctioned projects. Of the approved five UIG settlements: (I) In situ tenement construction &
projects, only the Water Supply & Storm Water infrastructure upgrade for people with legal land
Drain projects have been completed to date. The rest ownership documents & (II) Resettlement Schemes
are in the final stages of completion, as indicated for the landless. The CMC executed in situ works
in Table 1. It may be noteworthy that none of the either by constructing new homes with infrastruc-
projects were completed before 2011, which marked ture or only by upgrading existing facilities (where
the end of the seven years of JNNURM. The reasons house improvement was not required).
cited for the delay were manifold, ranging from
delay in the disbursement of funds by the state to The BSUP project was phased in such a way that
public litigation against the project. It is also evident slums on objectionable public land were prioritized.
that the water supply and underground sewerage The eligibility of beneficiaries was based on their
project over stepped the approved cost. Most of the land ownership status, period of residency and
packages under all the projects were awarded to required proof of identity, generally a ration card.
private companies by floating tenders. This showed The identification of beneficiaries in all the phases
a marked improvement in the involvement of the was carried out by the Coimbatore Corporation due
private sector in supplying public infrastructure. to the fact that records pertaining to citizens were
under its purview.
4.3 JNNURM – Basic Services to Urban Poor
(BSUP) The scheme was laid out in three phases: (a) Phase
As mentioned earlier, this component was pur- I with a budget of Rs 58.82 Crore & 2907 dwelling
ported to address the needs of the urban poor. It units (b) Phase II with a budget of Rs 199.94 Crore
was mandated to pursue the following three key &10973 DUs and (c) Phase III with a budget of Rs
pro-poor reforms, namely (a) earmarking 25% of 247.54 Crore and 11577 DUs. The first two phases
the municipal budget for the urban poor to provide comprised in situ tenement construction & up
basic services including affordable housing for the grade, while the third phase was committed to large
urban poor; (b) implementation of the 7- Point scale tenement construction.
Charter, namely provision of land tenure, affordable
housing, water, sanitation, education, health and In Phase I, a total of 2907 beneficiaries were
social security to the poor in a time-bound man- identified, of which 200 had upgrades to existing
ner ensuring convergence with other programmes homes while the remaining 2707 had new homes
and (c) reservation of 25% of developed land in constructed. Among these, 2707 recipients were
all housing projects, public or private, critical for identified and 1757 were ineligible due to lack of
slum improvement. (http://mhupa.gov.in). Further ownership. Hence, 1757 eligible alternatives were
emphasis was laid on providing housing for the found and work orders were issued.
urban poor near their place of occupation”. (Revised
BSUP Guidelines, 2009) Similarly, in Phase II, out of 10973 dwelling units,
1050 were upgraded with infrastructure while 9923
BSUP was executed in the city in three phases were re-built. Issues similar to Phase I were faced, but
in 17 projects with an initial budget of Rs 443.55 on a larger scale, where out of the 9923 beneficiaries
Crore with 22,230 intended beneficiaries. However, 7116 were ineligible. Eventually, to make up for the

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 4 – JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

gap, the Corporation had to identify beneficiaries poor is marginally larger than resettlements, which
from other slums within the new corporation limits. is more or less in tandem with the proposal. But the
cause for alarm is the vacancy rate of tenements,
Phase III involved the resettlement of slums into which is about 61% (7048 DU) at Ukkadam.
multi-storied housing complexes. The work was
handed over to the TNSCB 18 months after sanction- Under the BSUP, a Project Management Unit
ing because the CMC conceded its lack of expertise (PMU) & Project Implementation Unit (PIU) were
in the construction of such complexes. The list of approved, on 30th July 2008. The PMU is at the SLNA
completed projects under BSUP in Coimbatore are level and posted in Chennai while PIU is at the ULB/
summarized in Tables 3 & 4. Parastatal Agency level. Coimbatore Corporation
and TNSCB approved one PIU each for executing
From the above data, the share of CMC- led in projects. Each PIU had five technical experts from
situ tenement construction accounted for 14758 allied fields and had a budget of Rs 40 Lakhs per
dwelling units while the TNSCB-led resettlement year given by the Centre on a tapering basis (1st
schemes provided 11577 dwelling units. The share of year – 100% funding, 2nd year – 75% funding and 3rd
the in situ scheme in supplying housing to the urban year – 50% funding). ◆

Table 2
PMU & PIU structure

S. NO POSITION NO. OF REMUNE AMOUNT (RS)

MONTHS RATION PER
MONTH (RS)
1 Project Coordinator (Housing and slum Development) – 1 No 12 50,000 6,00,000
2 Social Development Officer – 1 No 12 50,000 6,00,000
3 Livelihoods Development Specialist – 1 No 12 50,000 6,00,000
4 Research Officer – 1 No 12 30,000 3,60,000
5 Research and Training Coordinator – 1 No 12 20,000 2,40,000
Sub-Total - 1 24,00,000
6 Travel Expenses (20% of total annual support) 8,00,000
7 Operational Expenditure (20% of total annual support) 4,00,000
8 Contingencies Expenses (10% of total annual support) 4,00,000
Sub-Total - 2 16,00,000
GRAND TOTAL 40,00,000

Source: Ongoing scheme details, JNNURM, collected from JNNURM Cell, Coimbatore Corporation

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

PART 5
JNNRUM IN COIMBATORE: AN OVERVIEW

5.1 The Context The encroachment of this water body started about
The Ammankulam housing colony is a resettlement 70 years back by the herding communities (Shepard)
scheme case under BSUP undertaken by the govern- in the city. These people were dependent on the
ment in 2008. It is one of the few schemes where the natural resources the lake had to offer i.e. land and
resettlement efforts were confined to the proximity water. These initial encroachments started with
of the city core rather than the outskirts. The colony the erection of residences on the lake bund which
is located in a place called Yeri Medu – which liter- then moved further into the water body itself after
ally translates to “Lake Bund” – stretching for one it desiccated. After many years the government
kilometer, which served as a line of crossing in started to promote development activities in the
the early days. Ammankulam is actually the name lake land by formalizing the land through approved
of the lake along which the bund (Yeri Medu) was layouts. In fact, there is even a housing quarter
constructed. So, in essence, the housing colony is built by the TNHB, for CMC workers, in the 90s, at
actually situated on lake land. Ammankulam which is home to 100 families.

Figure 18
Location of Ammankulam in Coimbatore city

Source: htt17 \l 16393

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

The causes for the destruction of the water body in – NH 47 (Trichy Road) and SH-209 (Avinashi
itself is a pertinent question at this juncture because, Road) and major commercial hubs of the city like
in Coimbatore, the informal settlements are consid- Gandhipuram, Ukkadam & Townhall. However,
ered to be one of the main reasons for ruining water the resettlement colony is located in the inner zone
bodies. But in the case of Ammankulam, natural of Ammankulam and can be accessed via two
drains that replenish the water level are blocked by main roads - Sowripalayam road on the South and
government- approved developments around them. In Puliyakulam Road on the West.
addition, these drains are also polluted by industries
and residential developments which release untreated This site was selected for two reasons: (I) it was
effluents/sewage into them. Eventually the entire lake owned by the government & (II) it was close to
land was exploited due to various construction activi- the previous settlement (within half a kilometer).
ties for both residential and commercial purposes. Some of the major civic amenities around the site
are the government higher secondary school, a
The project was initiated with a budget of Rs 41 Primary Health Centre, colleges (along Avinashi
Crores in 2007 to house the people evicted from road) and religious buildings. According to
Valankulam Lake, and 502 families that had TNSCB officials, these factors were also consid-
encroached on Ammankulam Lake. The eviction ered for selecting the site.
came in the wake of redevelopment works that
were proposed to rejuvenate the Valankulam Lake - The People
and generate lakefront activities for recreational The Ammankulam resettlement colony, which was
purposes. Most of the settlers along this lake did not meant to cater to 1608 relocated families, ended up
possess legal documents of land ownership and thus with only 792 dwelling units, details of which will be
were resettled in Ammankulam under the BSUP. The explained in the next section. This left the remaining
TNSCB was completely responsible for this project, population with no dwelling units despite their eli-
both in execution and designing. It was expected to gibility to attain a dwelling unit under the scheme.
cater to 1608 families and was completed in 2015. Fifty percent of the residents here are males with a
large share of them falling in the 40-80 age group.
- Locational Advantage The same trend is reflected in the female population
Ammankulam is a prime area in the city due to with minor differences in the 18 – 25 and 25 – 40 age
its close proximity to the two National Highways category.

Figure 19
Age Wise Distribution in Male and Female Population

LANGUAGE LITERACY

Tamil Iliterate
Telugu Pre School
Malayam Primary
High School
Higher

Source: Infographics by author

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

The average household size is 4 though some families Hall, Gandhipuram and Ukkadam. But given that
have up to six members. The bulk of the population the new place was just within half a kilometer
are Hindus (80%) followed by Christians (20%) with of their previous settlement, this relocation did
virtually no Muslim households. The colony consists not affect their livelihoods significantly. Income
of marginal communities predominantly from the levels of each household range from Rs 3,000 to
Scheduled Tribe (ST) followed by Scheduled Caste Rs 12,000 per month, depending on occupation
(SC), Other Backward Caste (OBC) & Backward and the number of wage earners per dwelling. On
Caste (BC). In addition to Tamil, other south Indian average, the monthly income per household is Rs
languages like Telugu and Malayalam are spoken 5,000 per month, with at least two wage earners,
here representing the diverse nature of this settle- which qualifies them under the EWS category.
ment. The immigration of Malayalam-speaking About 15% of the people here are employed in
people also suggests that they are a relatively new the formal sector like offices and organized busi-
population in view of the fact that immigration nesses, while the rest are employed as construction
from Kerala is a fairly recent phenomenon. workers, road side vendors, drivers, carpenters,
domestic help in residences and commercial estab-
The literacy rate here is 87%. The illiteracy rate is lishments, and merchandise delivery systems. The
13% and is confined to people over 55 years of age. municipal office jobs are the highest paid (Rs 8,000
The most significant point to be noted in this regard per month) followed by self-employed vendors (Rs
is that 56% of the people here have formal education 7,300 per month). Since only a minor portion are
beyond primary school. The school dropoutrates engaged in these relatively high paying jobs, the
are nil here due to the existence of a government community here is homogeneous with respect to
school in the vicinity where girls & boys are equally income levels.
educated at least till the higher secondary level.
Most of the graduates enroll in colleges irrespec- 5.2 Site Planning
tive of their gender. The level of education and the The colony is spread over 2.83 hectares, with 792
significance of educating the current generation is dwelling units, making the density 158 dwelling
a widespread concern within this community. Most units per hectare. The site is located 0.6 kilometers
of the residents have stressed the need to educate from the Sowripalayam road, through YeriMedu
their children in hopes of better job opportunities Road and 1 kilometer from Puliyakulam Road,
so that the current generation does not undergo the through Ammankulam Road. These approach
ordeals experienced by their parents. roads are in the form of narrow streets 3 – 4.5
meters wide that do not support two-way traffic,
Before the relocation, the people of Ammankulam especially four wheelers or emergency vehicles like
were employed in areas like Race Course, Town ambulances or fire engines.

34
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Figure 20
Aerial View of Ammankulam Housing Colony

Pedestrians also find it difficult to access the site due or improvement in site planning for these resettlement
its location deep within the region. The nearest bus schemes, except for the provision of a few civic ame-
stops are situated on the Sowripalayam Road and nities like a community Hall, Park and Recreational
Ammankulam Road, requiring residents to walk area. Out of these, the park and recreational areas do
long distances. not have any green cover and appear to be in a state of
disuse. The community hall is quite small and inad-
The approach roads are also deemed to be unsafe, equate for the population residing there. According to
especially at night, due to poor street lighting and the residents, they were promised a library (to be used
dog infestation. These roads are improperly designed as a preschool or night school) by the TNSCB officials,
with sharp curves and bends (since it follows the which is still nowhere near construction.
profile of the lake bund) and become slippery dur-
ing the rainy season thus making it dangerous for Parking is insufficient and poorly designed for both
vehicular traffic. This lack of access roads, with two wheelers and four wheelers. There are a few
transport services and safety, has made life quite dedicated parking areas within the colony for two
difficult for the elderly and school children. wheelers only and even these are unsheltered. Thus
the residents have resorted to parking two wheelers
The site plan of the colony is similar to many TNSCB in front of their homes and four wheelers in street
housing schemes since the 1970s and is characterized corners (reducing the width of the already narrow
by a typical block layout that is repeated throughout street). In addition, lack of entry gates, proper sign
the site with proper setbacks and green space reserva- posting and streetlights within the complex also add
tions. There seems to have been no significant change to the problems of the people living here.

Source: htt17 \l 16393

35
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Figure 21
Approach roads to the site

Small encroachments in the form of informal commer- In the current scenario, these encroachments are
cial establishments are seen between the blocks. On the starting steps towards what could become a case
further enquiry it was revealed that these petty shops like Siddhapudhur. If people’s basic requirements
were the solution adopted by the people to address had been properly taken into account, these kind
their daily needs. Given the long distances that one of fall outs could have been avoided by the TNSCB.
had to travel to buy commodities, the community itself The same planning style, with a lot of unused and
encouraged the presence of these shops. What was to neglected open spaces, could result in similar
have started as typical petty shops has now expanded encroachments in this resettlement scheme after a
to include snack centers and ice cream vendors. few decades.

Figure 22
Site entry & informal parking space

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

36
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Housing (Ukkadam & Vellalore) which were being carried out

When the project was approved by the Centre, the within the city. But even today there are still many
plan was to build 1608 units in apartment blocks of people in Ammankulam who are temporarily being
G + 5 storeys. But in 2010, during the construction accommodated by their friends and extended fami-
phase, two blocks- 2B & 4B sank 50 cm and 25 cm lies while they await their unit allotment. Currently
respectively into the ground bringing the entire the colony consists of 37 apartment blocks in the
project to a halt. The sinking was attributed to poor ranges of G+1, G+2 and G + 3 floors, with each floor
soil conditions in the area due to the presence of containing six dwelling units of 269 sqft area each.
marshy soil which later started to settle, owing to The blocks are not uniform and vary depending on
the weight of the block. This is no surprise given that their position on the site. Typically, the blocks are a
the land was earlier a lake. repetition of a typical floor plan along the longer axis.

The earliest soil testing for this site was said to have Each typical block unit is an RCC framed structure
been done in 1999 and again in late 2002. In both with a central stairwell with no elevators. There are
these instances, the land was declared to be unsuitable three dwelling units on either side of the stairwell,
for construction. But in 2006, after the DMK came to with a total of six apartments per floor. The staircase
power, the plan to build on this site was revived. The leads to a corridor along which there are doorsto
justification was based on the soil test report submit- each dwelling. Adequate lighting and ventilation of
ted by Anna University and IIT Madras, which rec- this common space is supplied by an open sky duct
ommended the construction of building over “hard near the landing area of the staircase. Currently, this
rock”. (Times of India, 3rd July, 2011) duct space serves as a garbage accumulation point
on the ground floor as waste gets tossed down from
According to news reports, in order to rectify this the upper floors and gets flooded during the rainy
problem, the affected blocks were demolished and season, which further degrades the living environ-
the overall height of the apartments was reduced to ment. Each apartment has one multi-purpose hall
G+3. But this inadvertently brought down the num- with kitchen, a balcony for drying clothes and an
ber of dwelling units to 792 units, leaving 816 benefi- attached toilet with bath. Being a more recent con-
ciaries with no homes. These people were supposed struction, the exterior of the building seems to be in
to be given homes in other resettlement schemes good condition with no visible problems.

Figure 23
Typical floor plan and dwelling unit layout

Source: Infographics by author

37
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

The blocks are arranged according to the contours to But despite the assurance of TNSCB officials that
reduce the cost of cutting and filling. Though this is the apartments are safe, the residents are skeptical
not such a bad strategy, cost reduction seems to be the about the quality. The sizes of the apartments are
only criteria considered by the TNSCB while arrang- still a concern for the people and complaints like
ing these blocks on site. Climate considerations, ease lack of space for washing vessels and clothes within
of use, user requirements, creation of well-designed the dwelling units were reported.
common spaces and efficient utilization of floor
spaces were not prioritized while designing.

Figure 24
Interior View of (clock wise) (I) Entry Lobby & Stairwell (II) Common Corridor (III) Kitchen (IV) Open to sky / Duct (V) Living
room& (VI) Bedroom

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

38
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Figure 25
Exterior view of housing colony

5.3 Infrastructure corporation supplied water on a weekly basis for

The apartments have access to two types of water: 6 hrs a day by means of underground pipelines.
(I) hard water derived from bore wells & (II) soft/
potable water supplied by the corporation. The The residents fetch drinking water from the ground
hard water is used for basic daily needs such as using vessels and carry them to their homes in the
ablution and washing and is stored on the top of apartment. The task is difficult for those residing on
the blocks. Every dwelling unit has individual tap the higher floors. These tanks are not cleaned on a
points in the kitchen and toilet which are con- regular basis, giving rise to water borne worms and
nected to the overhead tanks. But this is different frequent complaints of water-related illnesses like
in the case of potable water. Water tanks, about 3.6 fevers and diarrhea. At the peak of the water crisis,
meters high, are placed at ground level and shared the residents were forced to pay for drinking water by
between two blocks (a maximum of 48 house- buying it from nearby areas like Ramanathapuram
holds). These tanks are supplied with potable or Puliyakulam, at the rate of Rs 2 per vessel.

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

39
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Figure 26
Water supply tank & Septic Tanks

The colony has a well laid-out sewerage system for ents directly into the nearby Sanganur stream. There
waste collection Sewage pipelines are extended from are currently no complaints regarding the sewerage
each toilet, which are well equipped with sanitary fit- system itself. But the side effect of releasing effluents
tings, to the septic tanks below. These septic tanks are directly into the stream has created mosquito breed-
connected to underground pipes that release the efflu- ing grounds and a foul smell in the neighborhood.

Figure 27
Toilet in Apartment & Garbage disposal bins

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

40
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Though garbage bins are provided and cleared There is a network of storm water drains on the site
frequently, they are inadequate in number result- that direct runoff water into the Sanganur stream.
ing in overflows that attract stray animals. Waste Rainwater from the terraces is directed into open
separation is not practiced at the community level. storm water drains through vertical pipelines. These
Metered electricity connections are provided at a in turn run around each block and connect to larger
cost of Rs 1550 to each apartment and streetlights, open drains that run along the perimeter of the site.
despite being present all over the site, are not main- These open drains accumulate garbage that results
tained properly. This poorly lit environment has in clogging and water logging during the rainy
generated a sense of insecurity amidst the populace, season, creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
especially among women. The release of untreated runoff water into the stream
may also become a concern in the long run.

Figure 28
Storm water drains

The inaccessible nature of this site is another impend- Diwali, Vinayak Chaturthi etc. Events and political
ing problem that has taken its toll on school children, meetings also take place within the premises. While
college students and the elderly. These age groups are street corners and ground floor verandahs are
the most affected because they rely heavily on public regular socializing spaces for the elderly, young men
transport, unlike the working class. The nearest bus gather on roof tops to party. Small groups of chatty
stop is 600 meters away which makes it very difficult women overseeing their children are a common
for these people to commute. Their mobility is virtu- sight in the park during the evenings.
ally zero at night owing to the lack of security in the
Ammankulam road and the unavailability of a para Though the current scenario does not present a bad
transit system from the colony. case for their social life, most of the residents claim
that communal activities were more vibrant in their
Social life previous settlement. The shift from horizontal liv-
Communal life in the Ammankulam resettlement ing conditions to vertical ones has had an adverse
colony is quite lively during festivals like Pongal, effect on their social life and relationships. “In our

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

41
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

previous place I had my extended family and friends center, religious buildings, police station etc. Other
living right next to my home. But here we have been commercial establishments like hotels, small scale
allotted different blocks and we rarely see each commercial outlets, shopping streets and even work-
other,” says Malathi, a resident of the colony. places are within 2 kilometers of their residence.

Even when workshops were conducted in this The layout of this complex extends to include social
community, the dissemination of information at facilities like parks and community halls, prob-
Ammankulam was relatively poor in comparison to ably because this is mandated by BSUP regulations.
those conducted at other informal settlements like However, the original intention of these facilities has
Muthankulam & Siddhapudhur. On the whole it been lost. The very manner in which these spaces
appears that this way of living has broken the very have been distributed induces a sense of estrange-
emotional and social bond between these people. ment. The common spaces appear to be cut off
from blocks that are along the periphery of the site
Social Infrastructure and most residents do not seem to be aware of the
As mentioned before, the Ammankulam colony is happenings in these spaces. Nnevertheless, the com-
well within the vicinity of various social infrastruc- munity has managed to use a part of these public
ture amenities like schools, colleges, primary health spaces for conducting tuition and other classes.

Figure 29
Park and Community Hall

5.4 Policy Outlook unit per ration card, an entire family was eligible
The beneficiaries for this scheme were selected for one apartment. But large families with eight or
on the basis of their period of stay at ValanKulam nine members cannot be accommodated in a 26 sqm
and their ability to produce proof of identity home. Thus the beneficiaries had to apply for new
(ration card) and income certificate. The CMC was ration cards which was a time-consuming process.
responsible for collecting and recording the data of
the Valankulam residents and determining their The resettlement programs are mass housing schemes
eligibility as beneficiaries under the scheme. Since wherein colonies are built to accommodate the maxi-
most of them were in a joint family system, a single mum possible dwelling units allowed by the regula-
Ration Card contained the names of the entire fam- tions. In other words, they are not built for specific
ily (up to 8 names). Given the rule of one dwelling slums and are mere housing blocks that are waiting

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

42
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

to be occupied. In this case, a single housing colony III. The cost of commuting seems to be a problem for
may be composed of marginal dwellers from various the slum inhabitants. They don’t feel that attend-
slums across the city who are not acquainted with ing these workshops is worth spending a days’
each other. The social cohesion that existed in the worth of commuting charges.
original settlements was severed and the people are IV. The training and workshops sometime go on for
divorced from their social fabric. Thus there is a gen- months, and during this time the participants
eral atmosphere of mistrust in the resettlement areas receive a paltry income in the form of stipends.
that prohibit collective responsibilities and duties. Thus, the informal settlers seem to preferstarting
a job instead of attending such workshops
Disseminating information to the people was car- V. There is also a general lack of interest as stated by
ried out by the Community Development Wing the CDW official of Coimbatore. He claims that
(CDW) of the TNSCB. This department acts as a even the few who complete their training course
bridge between the government & the people and is and get employed, quit their jobs within a few
responsible for understanding the needs of the slum months.
inhabitants. While the CMC records demography The main intention of the CDW seems to be to con-
and infrastructure related data, the CDW collects vince the informal dwellers to relocate. The people
data on livelihood and socio economic profiles of are not really involved in the planning or designing
informal settlements. It creates a platform for dia- stages of their apartments. With regard to this, a
logue where enquiries and grievances are addressed. TNSCB officials said “They lack the knowledge
Another responsibility of the CDW is to provide the regarding designing or planning. They do not
inhabitants of the colony with new ration cards and understand the technical difficulties involved in
other address proofs after relocation. They coordi- the construction. So nothing is to be gained by
nate with the CMC and make the process smoother. involving them in the designing process”. This
Even so, awareness campaigns and social welfare is proof that there was literally no community
programs to educate the marginal population were participation.
not on the agenda of the CDW.
Until the accident in 2010 involving the sinking
The CDW also organizes workshops and training of two blocks, work was going at a smooth pace in
programmes in which these relocated people are Ammankulam. Immediately afterwards the issue
trained and given certificates as proof of skill achieve- was politicized with the ward councilors rising up in
ment. In some cases, even jobs are arranged soon arms against the TNSCB for negligence. In essence
after course completion. Nevertheless, despite all the role of ward councilors was limited to the selec-
these efforts, the attendance rate at these workshops tion of beneficiaries as they knew the people of their
is quite poor, especially from slums that are within constituencies. They had protested the handing over
city limits. This may be attributed to the following: of the construction work to TNSCB and maintained
I. The programmes conducted are an open call to that it should be undertaken by the Corporation.
all the informal dwellers in the city, lacking focus The construction of tenements on Ukaddam Sewage
on a specific informal settlement. This appears to farm was also protested against bythe elected mem-
be a generalized solution for a specific problem. bers as it, too, was a lake bed.
II. The training programmes do not take local skills
into consideration and are only focused on the In some interviews conducted by news reporters,
industrial / manufacturing sectors like textile the interviewees stated that they were “too scared”
and automobile parts to move into the tenements. "The government

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

could have given us land instead of giving us con- a Hire Purchase scheme wherein the beneficiaries
structed flats. How can we move into a building have to pay an affordable monthly installment of
that stands aslant," asked Jhansi, a local advocate. Rs 250/- for a period of 20 years”.
(Times of India, 2011).
Dwelling units were allotted through a computer-
Originally the land was owned by the Corporation ized system with special preference given to the
and was later transferred to TNSCB for the construc- elderly for apartments on the ground floor. But the
tion of tenements. The beneficiaries under the BSUP most glaring problem was revealed after a resident
scheme were also given “Floor Rights” as in the case questioned us - “The elderly get an apartment on
of Siddhapudhur, where the dwellers owned the the ground floor, now. But in six years I too will
floor while the land belonged to the TNSCB. Since become old and may fall prey to health problems.
BSUP was not a freebie and required beneficiary How will I carry water up to the third floor then?”
contribution, the residents had to make a down pay- Though an elevator might reduce the problem, the
ment of Rs 17,800 along with Rs 1,550 for electricity officials are against this idea, quoting higher main-
separately. There was no necessity for loan arrange- tenance costs. On completion of the project, the
ments by the TNSCB in this case. But according beneficiaries were given a weeks’ time to move into
to the Detailed Project Report on Ammankulam, their new homes. In spite of inspection by officials,
prepared by the TNSCB, the tenements were sup- some apartments did not have proper electrical
posed to be “allotted to eligible beneficiaries under points and water supply lines.

Figure 30
Proof of ownership & payment receipts for JNNURM-provided dwelling units

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

44
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

Figure 31
Eligibility proof and computerized allotment number of dwelling unit

The policy states that there be a monitoring process few residents have rented out their apartments. Worst
through a social audit by which setbacks of the of all, the inhabitants who were rendered homeless
project may be understood and further amendments due to the 2010 incident are staying in Ammankulam
could be made in future resettlement schemes. But colony on a rental basis despite their right to a dwell-
the residents claim that no such thing has happened ing in the very same place. Only proper and regular
until now. The following are the problems due to the inspections can ensure that the rightful beneficiaries
lack of social audits: dwell within their allotted spaces.

The problems of the residents are unaddressed: Association formation: The policy requires that an
After completing project, the TNSCB officials are association be formed by the residents which will
responsible for maintenance over the next 3 yrs. bear the responsibility of infrastructure mainte-
But the officials did not respond to the residents’ nance and finance management. The TNSCB main-
qualms, stating that they were no longer responsible tains the housing complex up to three years from
for the project. They claimed that their responsibil- date of handing over (Jan 5th in this case). Currently,
ity was only until the handing over stage and that despitebeing the final year of its maintenance con-
in case of issues regarding infrastructure they must tract, the TNSCB does not handle complaints. An
contact CMC. The residents experienced the same official asserts that “although the TNSCB has imple-
response from the CMC officials too, who passed mented the agenda of an association, the residents
the coin to the TNSCB. seem to be skeptical towards this idea. They think
they have to pay for their maintenance and are stall-
Issue of Subletting: Another problem that happens in ing the procedure.” It remains to be seen if there will
these resettlements is subletting the allotted dwelling be an association at all, in 2018.
unit for extra income. The ownership documents don’t
seem to contain any specific clause with regard to sub- At present there is an informal resident welfare
letting. This has certainly been the case here where a association called the “Nalla Sangam” that takes the

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

45
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 5 – JNNURM (BSUP) RESETTLEMENT SCHEME: CASE OF AMMANKULAM HOUSING COLONY

responsibility of representing the Ammankulam There has been no improvement in the planning
housing colony. They undertake community welfare and designing of the buildings since the 1970s. The
programs like cleanliness drives and communicate same typical blocks are being used to this day, with
common grievances of the residents to government only a few rectifications in terms of carpet areas,
authorities. And yet the people oppose registering building heights and provision of common spaces
this association formally as it will oblige each house- like community halls and parks at the site level. The
hold to pay a monthly maintenance fee. Residents are infrastructure still appears to be inadequate and
unwilling to entrust their money to an association government-sponsored housing complexes have
comprised of people practically unknown to them, contributed to environmental degradation.
and whom they have no reason to trust.
From a user satisfaction standpoint, about 70% of
Lack of Project Assessment: The actual perfor- the survey respondents claimed to be comfortable
mance level of the project is unknown to the TNSCB with their existing living conditions, leaving 30%
since there has been no interaction or feedback from unsatisfied. However, there is quite a difference
the inhabitants. Government officials claim that in the satisfaction levels of the younger and older
the project is a success just because they achieved generations. The elderly regard the endowment of a
a hundred percent occupancy rate. But only when dwelling unit as a relief in their old age, unlike the
the research team conducted workshops and held younger generation, who seem to have issues with
discussions with the people, problems areas started the lack of socializing spaces, parking and inad-
to surface. equate infrastructure. This is totally justified given
that the needs of the younger generation are far
5.5 Conclusion greater than those of the older ones. Though some of
The Ammankulam housing complex is a relatively the complaints made by the younger generation are
new project in Coimbatore under the JNNURM uncalled for (like inadequate dwelling unit sizes),
scheme and presents a case of bureaucratic defi- they do yearn to leave these apartments in the near
ciencies and dropping user satisfaction levels. The future. This is a positive trend that could pave the
very process of site selection was already , a bone of way for empowering the marginal population and
contention in this project. All over the city, slums reduce the burden on the government.
along the water bodies are being relocated in order
to preserve these natural resources. But the irony On the positive side, bureaucratic procedures were
is that, in fact, the government itself is providing completed quickly, and the residents got their docu-
resettlements within the city by filling in the lake ments and identity proofs on time. Nonetheless,
beds. All these unstable sites are earmarked for lack of community participation, absence of social
slum resettlement since there are no other takers auditing and lack of transparency were still some of
for these lands. the gaping holes seen in this project. ◆

46
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

PART 6
JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME:
CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

6.1 Context encroachment occurring along Ammankulam Lake

In situ construction was another model propagated as a result of the natural resources and strategic
under the BSUP scheme of JNNURM that worked location the place had to offer. This place also had
by allowing the beneficiaries to construct their own the advantage of being near the textile mills –
homes with financial assistance from the government. Lakshmi Mill, Pankaja Mill and Kannabiran mill
It is essentially a slum upgrade program that prevents – where there were opportunities for employment.
relocation and scales up the basic infrastructure. However, on account of being an encroached site
with poor housing conditions and infrastructure, it
Balasubramaniam Nagar is also located in Yeri was classified as a slum. Therefore the Coimbatore
Medu, about a hundred meters south of the Corporation implemented BSUP as a part of the
Ammankulam Housing Colony. This is the first Coimbatore City Upgradation Phase.

Figure 31
Location of Balasubramaniam Nagar in Coimbatore city

Source: htt171 \l 16393

47
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

- Locational Advantage With 94% of the population being able to read and
Balasubramaniam Nagar is sited along the write, the literacy level in Balasubramainam Nagar
Sowripalayam Road with the Sanganur Stream on is very high. Only the older generation is illiterate;
the east and residential areas on the west. It has all the rest of the population has received formal educa-
the locational advantages that Ammankulam has tion up to preschool level. There is a positive trend
with respect to connectivity and proximity to social towards college enrollment with 33% of the popula-
amenities. Linkage to public transit is much better tion completing college level education. However,
due to the presence of two bus stops, within 100 as in the case of Siddhapudhur, graduates complain
meters, on either side of the settlement. that they are unable to find employment despite
their literacy level.
- The People
This settlement has about 600 people living in it The average income level is Rs 10,000 per month per
on individual plots of land. Fifty one percent of the dwelling unit, which varies between Rs 5,000 – Rs
populations are male in the 40- 80 age group. The 20,000 per month for each family. Employment is
distribution of the population with respect to gender chiefly in relatively high-paying jobs like office work
and age. and self-employment. Daily wages from menial jobs
are not a source of income for the people living here.
In both cases the population is largely in the 40-80 Their place of employment is within 5 kms of their
age category, with both sexes distributed uniformly homes, with one thirddepending on public transport
in the under 25 age group. There is also a significant to commute. Another third of the people have pri-
proportion of male senior citizens. The residents vate vehicles, while the rest are dependent on either
claim that they have been living there for three para-transit modes or walk to their work place.
generations, which corroborates the data above. The
first generation settlers (> 80 yrs) have nearly all 6.2 Site Planning
passed away, and a relatively large group of the sec- The entire settlement layout was formalized under
ond generation (40 – 80 yrs) are present. The average the BSUP by subdividing plots and providing
household size in Balasubramaniam is 4.5, margin- infrastructure. The average area of a plot ranges
ally larger than Ammankulam. The flexibility to from 40 – 60 sqm (with a minimum width of 4.5
construct extra rooms has enabled the inhabitants m) and abut on 3-metre roads. There are mixed-use
to have larger families. developments within the settlement that cater to
the commercial needs of the place. Petty shops and
Tamil is the predominant language spoken here, fol- small commercial outlets are situated along the
lowed by Malayalam and Telugu. 70% of the people roads for better footfall.
are Hindus, the rest Christians. Scheduled Caste
and Scheduled Tribe population account for 60% of
the population with no share of minorities.

48
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

Figure 32
Aerial view of Balasubramaniam Nagar

- Housing However, on the contrary, the general development

Under the BSUP scheme, each beneficiary is entitled pattern of the buildings do not appear to concur with
to a sum of Rs 150,000 for the construction of a the planning regulations of the city as stipulated in
single dwelling unit. The initial cost of construction the Directive Control Regulations (DCR). The most
is borne by the beneficiaries, after which they are noticeable violations concern setback spaces and
entitled to the BSUP fund. This emolument is paid maximum permissible height, as these could be
out in installments at different stages of construc- observed directly during field visits. In fact, some of
tion i.e. (I) Plinth level (II) Sill level (III) Lintel level the homes do not even have toilets.
& (IV) Roof level. Corporation officials inspect the
progress at each stage before approving the payment. On further probing it was understood that these vio-
lations appear only after the last stage of inspection
The houses are constructed by the residents themselves has been completed by the corporation officials. The
and have ground coverage of 30 - 35 sqm. Typical beneficiaries, after receiving the final installment,
plans for the homes comprising of a multi-purpose take it upon themselves to customize their homes.
room, kitchen and toilet with bath are provided by The result being that there is variety in the building
the Corporation itself. The beneficiaries are expected scenario in Balasubramaniam Nagar. The buildings
to follow this construction plan and no customization range from single to three storey depending on what
whatsoever is permitted. The government-approved the plot owners can afford, and additional rooms are
plan takes into consideration all the planning regula- added according to the needs of the families. Hence,
tions of the city and is thus easily approved by the the quality of each home is a product of what the
Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), residents need and can afford.
the town planning department of the city.

Source: htt171 \l 16393

49
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

Figure 33
Exterior view of dwellings in Balasubramaniam Nagar

6.3 Infrastructure about the lack of basic amenities at their homes Mr

The infrastructure components of dwellings are S.M. Samy, a resident said “When we approach the
not funded separately by the government. The corporation, they tell us that the last date for such a
beneficiaries claim that the Rs 1.5 lakhs they provision was over a long time back. We have to pay
receive only suffice for the housing structure and extra (bribes) to get them.”
not for related infrastructure like water supply and
sanitation. A significant portion of infrastructure Currently there are two modes of water supply in
cost is for the installation of septic tanks and the this settlement: (I) An individual tap connection
application process fee for procuring water supply within the dwelling unit and (II) a common tap
and sewage connection. provided along the road. The former is principally
a bore well connection that is seen in high income
It is quite apparent that a significant number of homes and supplies hard water. The poorer section
households here can afford these rates for infra- of the settlement is entirely dependent on the com-
structure connections. But the fact remains that mon taps that supply both hard water and drinking
they haven’t. When questioned about this, the rela- water. While hard water is supplied twice a week,
tively affluent population responds that “If we call the supply of soft water is quite erratic. It may vary
the corporation officials for inspection they might from once in two weeks in summer to once a week
have a problem with this additional construction. In in winters. Residents fetch water from these taps,
exchange for approving connections they will expect which are below the road level, and store it in large
bribes”. When the poorer households were asked containers in their homes.

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

50
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

Figure 34
Common Taps on the streets

Though most of the homes have attached toilets, All the toilet effluent is channeled into septic tanks,
some use the pay and use public toilet. These public which in turn release the waste directly into Sanganur
toilets are maintained by the residents themselves Stream. This is hardly surprising since there are no
and are claimed to be clean and usable. However, sewerage connections for the households. Dwelling
they are not designed for the disabled or pregnant units without septic tanks dump both grey water
women. They only serve the purpose of a toilet and and soiled water into the storm water drains which
do not have spaces for ablution and washing. also discharges into the stream.

Figure 35
Direct release of sewage into Sanganoor stream

Closed storm water drains, about 45 cm deep, are garbage bins are provided, they are inadequate
provided on one side of the road and eventually in number and not placed at regular intervals.
drain into the stream. Drain clogging is experi- Although the corporation collects the garbage on
enced during the rainy seasons and thus requires a daily basis, waste separation is not performed at
frequent maintenance. Garbage still continues to the household level. All the homes have legalized
be dumped in informal dump yards that are situ- electricity connections and the streets are equipped
ated along the stream and at street corners. Though with proper lighting facilities.

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

51
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

Social infrastructure homes. Most homes have features like entrance

Communal gatherings occur at the temple in the porches and verandahs where the elderly are seen
locality and all functions such as marriages are conversing. While the common taps are informal
conducted there. Since the layout has not earmarked meeting spaces for young women, the men are regu-
parking spaces, green spaces or recreational areas, lars at the tea stalls and petty shops. However, the
the road has become a congregational space. But, children take to the roads in the evening to spend
remarkably, the residents have developed their own their leisure time and are the most adversely affected
spaces of interactions through the design of their by the lack of recreational spaces.

Figure 36
Street used as a place of recreation

6.4 Policy Outlook The satisfaction level of the people here is much bet-
This project, implemented under the DMK regime and ter, with 91% of them stating that they are comfort-
the slum, was completely regularized despite its loca- able with their present living conditions. The sense
tion on objectionable lake land. The political affiliation of ownership among the inhabitants is reflected in
of the people here seems to have won them favors with the maintenance level of their homes and neighbor-
the state government and hence managed to avoid hood. All public facilities like roads and toilets are
relocation. The first step was the regularization of the well kept and building facades are finished with
plots (done by DTCP) and provision of land titles (done painting and decorations. In fact, most of them have
by corporation) to the marginal dwellers. The corpora- even availed loans for home renovations and repairs.
tion is responsible for providing infrastructure and Common spaces are constantly under surveillance
regularly disbursing funds to the beneficiaries after and the chances of encroachment are literally non-
conducting thorough onsite inspections. existent in these “beneficiary-led construction” sites.

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

Source: Photo Credit: Vijay Krishna and Shaam Prakash

52
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 6 – JNNURM (BSUP) IN SITU CONSTRUCTION SCHEME: CASE OF BALASUBRAMANIAM NAGAR

Conferring land titles has certainly induced more

flexibility in the design of built spaces. Owners feel
a sense of attachment to their homes because they
were constructed by themselves and in some cases
even customized to their tastes. Though this ability
to customize is a blessing, it has resulted in bylaw
violations. This is probably the only downside to in
situ construction schemes.

6.5 Conclusion
In situ tenement construction schemes are more
successful with inhabitants having a high level of
satisfaction. The sense of belonging and the con-
ferment of land titles to the people has promoted
self-governance in the settlement. Though this is an
effective model, it is highly land intensive and may
not be applicable in the long run. Hence this is still a
temporary working model and needs to be adapted
to combat the building pressures of urban poor
housing in the city. Site and services schemes have
never been tried in Coimbatore and may prove to be
relevant solutions in the future when urban slums
within the city are relocated to the periphery. But this
must be accompanied with integrated development
of the city in terms of providing job opportunities,
transport and other allied infrastructure. ◆

53
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

PART 7
REFLECTIONS

The first section of this chapter aims to deliberate the issues arising from each factor that led to the
on the factors that contribute to the functioning eventual inefficiencyt of the policy implementation.
of housing policies in Coimbatore. These aspects These setbacks are solely derived from the three case
are derived from the experiences of the case stud- studies conducted and are applicable to Coimbatore
ies conducted at Siddhapudhur, Ammankulam city only.
and Balasubramaniam Nagar as explained in the
previous chapters. 7.2 Policy components and implementation status
This section outlines the details of policy compo-
7.1 Causes of Policy failures nents and their implementation status in the city to
A variety of factors have disrupted the successful provide a comprehensive understanding of its pros
implementation of housing schemes in the context of and cons.
Coimbatore City. These range from the basic policy
ideology to the manner of usage by the beneficiar- 7.2.1 Decentralization to Urban Local Bodies
ies. In this regard the possible reasons are classified (ULB)
under the following headings: The 74th amendment of the Constitution assigns
I. People: The beneficiaries of the housing policy powers to the ULB to undertake governance func-
who use the provided housing. tions and be responsible for development activities
II. Government: The ULB responsible for providing of the city. The JNNURM policy mandated the
its citizens with basic amenities and the govern- enforcement of the 74th amendment in the State
ing agency responsible for housing schemes. and required that the ULB produce plans for
It encompasses the governance capacity and development through City Development Plans or
monitoring ability of the agencies. DPR. The aim was to enable local governments to
III. Infrastructure: The diverse array of amenities design, implement and manage their own projects.
provided to the beneficiaries in terms of Physical In Tamil Nadu, the State government had opposed
Infrastructure, Social Infrastructure and Shelter. the amendment in the past in order to restrict the
IV. Finances: Issues pertaining to raising capital to autonomous working of the ULBs. The political par-
fund housing schemes ties needed the local government to be an extension
V. Execution process: The stumbling blocks that of the State and continued to strengthen the powers
were encountered while executing the projects of parastatal agencies like the TNSCB and TNHB.
on site.
VI. Policy: Certain ideologies like preservation of The situation in Coimbatore seems to reflect this
social fabric and integrated development of phenomenon, with TNSCB, TNHB and TNEB still
slums are not reflected in any of the housing continuing to influence the development works
policies adopted by the state. here. In the case of the resettlement programs, the
The effects of the above are summarized in the form CMC had publicly admitted its “lack of expertise”
of a fish bone diagram. The diagram represents in handling large-scale housing projects and handed

54
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

projects over to the TNSCB, despite protests from schemes, and incorporated them into private agen-
local elected representatives. Project studies, DPR cies. Additionally, urban planning functions were
preparation and implementation were solely carried ascribed to the Corporation.
out by TNSCB, with the role of CMC being limited
to providing land for development. In the case of 7.2.2 Seven Point Charter
in-situ tenement construction, the plot layout was This is a mandatory reform under JNNURM that
defined by the LPA, while the CMC transferered binds the ULB to provide tenure and infrastructure
land titles and provided physical infrastructure. to the urban poor. All housing policies in Tamil
Nadu have stressed the provision of these basic
Residents in resettlement schemes have to experi- services in all housing projects.
ence a phase shift in government officials each time
the dwelling units are completed. Initially they are - Tenure:
acquainted with the TNSCB officials who respond There has certainly been an improvement in the
to their grievances and complaints. But after project outlook of policies. The first state housing policies
completion, the CMC becomes responsible for the did not emphasize the need for providing ownership
place and people are forced to go back and forth to marginal populations. But after the World Bank
between these two departments, with each one entered the state development sector, provision
blaming the other for the complaints. One agency of tenure at affordable prices was propagated by
could have handled the entire project from start all housing policies, albeit with only two options:
to end, preferably the CMC as it caters to infrastruc- “land tenure” or “floor rights”. Of the two kinds
ture as well. of ownership, land tenure is more successful than
floor rights, because it offers more flexibility to the
But even the TNSCB is not completely empowered owners. The fact is that tenure (in any form) has
to make decisions in Coimbatore. The Coimbatore given the marginal dwellers a sense of security and
branch is just an executive agency that is responsible safeguardes them from evictions.
for project implementation. Officials claim that for
each development proposal they travel to the head - Housing infrastructure:
office in Chennai where the project is approved Since the 1970s there has been no improvement
and layout of buildings are planned. The executive with respect to planning and design of housing
body in Coimbatore is responsible for collecting and colonies constructed by the government. The prob-
recording data on slums and executing the sanc- lems experienced in the older housing complexes
tioned plans on site. Regarding infrastructure, the were not investigated and thus were repeated in the
corporation is responsible for water supply, sewer- newer projects too. The dwelling units have not met
age, storm water drainage, solid waste management changing social needs, making them far less unfit
and street lighting. Electricity and public transport for habitation. Encroachment of public spaces, lack
are the responsibility of the Tamil Nadu Electricity of recreational areas, inadequate living layouts
Board (TNEB) and Tamil Nadu State Transport and poor quality of construction are some of the
Corporation (TNSTC) parastatal agencies. concerns that have been occurring frequently since
the 1970s. The urban poor still have their reserva-
Nevertheless, there were positive outcomes follow- tions about occupying government constructed
ing the implementation of the 74th amendment in apartments due to the poor quality of construction
Coimbatore. The ULB was actively involved in the and site location.
UIG projects, wherein it laid out the development

55
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

However, the situation is the exact opposite in the schemes. Early policies did not place any importance
case of in situ construction. In this case, when the on social facilities like recreational spaces, com-
dwellers are given ownership of land and empowered munity halls and other congregational spaces. In the
to construct their own homes, the housing quality is meantime, however, all these elements have become
much better. Houses are tailored to meet the needs compulsory in the housing scheme directives.
of the families and are maintained more effectively. Though the intention is commendable, the imple-
Common spaces are well preserved and the sense mentation on site does not accomplish this objective.
of security within these neighborhoods is much
better. The only flaw in this housing scheme model Social amenities are planned and designed in an
is the potential violation of building regulations. ineffective manner resulting in unused spaces that
Nevertheless, these beneficiary- led constructions fall prey to encroachers over time. The provided
are quite successful in Coimbatore. spaces are inadequate as they do not meet the needs
of the residents, and lack of mixed use developments
- Infrastructure: Resettlement schemes result in commercial type encroachments like petty
In resettlement schemes, water supply systems have shops. These flaws seem to be repeated in resettle-
always been a source of difficulty to the residents. ment schemes throughout the city, with no attempt
In every housing colony, the water storage units are being made by the TNSCB to rectify them.
invariably placed at ground level with no connections
to the dwelling units. In such cases, fetching water - Infrastructure: In situ construction
from ground to upper floors of the apartments is a In the case of in situ construction, infrastructure
tedious process, especially for the elderly and the is available to all the dwelling units with minimal
sick. The water supply system has not been upgraded problems being reported by the residents. The issue
since the 1970s. here is more of a bureaucratic one, where the appli-
cation (for water & sewerage connections) submitted
The sanitation system is quite adequate given that by the residents are not taken up by the authorities.
each dwelling unit has an attached toilet with bath But the overall infrastructure is in place and is being
and a proper network of sewer pipes and septic tanks well maintained by both the locals and the CMC.
for waste collection. The only drawback is the lack of
maintenance, the result of which will be felt after dec- Social amenities are not particularly provided
ades. Storm water drain systems have been improved within these layouts and the people are dependent
from open to closed type channels to prevent clogging. on shops along the road for their daily needs. But
the community has acclimatized to the setting and
With regard to solid waste management, these colo- many informal communal spaces have been created
nies are no different from other housing develop- organically to accommodate their needs. Thus in situ
ments in the city. Overflowing garbage bins and not construction is an example of people governing and
separating waste at source is a city-wide problem. managing their own spaces, requiring minimum
Interestingly, these resettlement colonies are clean intervention from the government.
in that garbage is discarded into the provided waste
bins. Though street lights are provided in adequate 7.2.3 Community Participation
numbers, they are not maintained properly. Community participation, like tenure security, was
not prioritized in the early housing schemes. But
Housing policies have developed over time to include over time housing policies have evolved and com-
the provision of social infrastructure in resettlement munity participation made one of the key agendas.

56
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

As per the JNNURM mandatory reforms, the State formance of both the project and the public agency
government must implement the Community responsible for executing the project. But invariably,
Participation Law, that enables the citizens to par- in all the case studies, the residents claim to have no
take in municipal functions, stretching from basic knowledge of any such monitoring programmes.
infrastructure to municipal budgeting.
Problems like subletting, lack of maintenance and
Under this law a zonal committee, Ward Committee encroachments can be avoided through proper moni-
and Area Sabha were established representing the toring. Subletting and poor maintenance are the most
zonal level, ward level and polling station level common problems facing resettlement colonies due to
respectively. These committees were entrusted with lack of supervision. None of the housing colonies have
specific activities pertaining to different municipal a proper, registered Association or Society that repre-
functions. Agendas of slum improvement & upgra- sent its inhabitants. Thus, there is no self-governing
dation and urban poverty alleviation necessitate the system in multi storied tenements, and the people
involvement of the local communities in proposed constantly look to the government for assistance.
development projects. The Area Sabha is additionally
responsible for generating public awareness on pub- 7.2.5 Relocation vs. In situ Construction
lic health, sanitation and solid waste management. The housing needs of the urban poor were not a
prime agenda and the scale of informal settlements
But even with these extensive frameworks, the citi- was not very pressing until 2000, when economic
zens are seldom involved in the city’s development development and huge immigration of workers
programmes. This is exemplified in the case of the started. Until the launch of JNNURM in 2005,
public litigation case filed against the sewage treat- slum improvement programmes were handled by
ment plant proposed at Nanjundapuram. If the pub- the TNSCB, primarily through the construction
lic had really been involved in the CDP preparation of multi storied tenements, with very few upgrade
process or development works, as claimed by the schemes. Due to the availability of land all the pro-
CMC, then such a situation would not have arisen. jects were sited within city limits.

The level of community participation is further Before the BSUP, there were no large-scale housing
limited in the case of both resettlement schemes and developments that focused on the shelter needs of
in situ construction. Beneficiaries are never a part the urban poor. Large tracts of land were available
of project design, and their participation is limited within the Corporation limits for both in situ and
to complaints and queries regarding the relocation tenement construction schemes, and all housing
process, if any. The TNSCB does not engage the ben- projects were accommodated within city limits.
eficiaries in discussions concerning rudimentary Thus, the majority of the relocation sites are close to
agendas like user needs and requirements. the original settlements and the beneficiaries rarely
face the issue of long commutes to their workplace.
7.2.4 Project Monitoring By and large all the schemes are successful, as no case
Completed schemes require regular monitoring to of relocation has estranged the marginal population
assess the performance of housing schemes and to from their basic livelihood or denied them access to
prevent misuse or unauthorized occupation of prem- functional infrastructure.
ises after project handover. Primitive housing projects
did not have such provisions. BSUP mandates the But this trend cannot continue forever, as most of
implementation of a Social Audit to assess the per- the land has already been used up. In fact, current

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

projects under the Pradan Mantri Awas Yojana projects (both Public and Private Agencies) for EWS/
(PMAY) are being executed in the outlying areas LIG category”. The extent of execution of this reform
of the city where there are limited employment is still questionable as no practical instances of such
opportunities and underdeveloped infrastructural reservations could be found in housing projects.
facilities like public transport and water supply. It
remains to be seen how these projects will perform The bylaws (2010) of Coimbatore stipulate the
in the context of such long distance relocations. reservation of at least 10 percent of the site area in
residential developments with plot areas over 10,000
7.2.6 Politics and housing schemes sqm for EWS and LIG housing. Dwelling units with
Though policies have been modified to insulate them areas not exceeding 45sqm for LIG and 30sqm for
from political dogmas, housing schemes continue EWS are to be constructed by the developer on this
to reel under their influence. The State government reserved land. Though there are cases of violations
maintains a strong hold on the local governments in the city, this law has contributed towards the
through the parastatal agencies that are controlled development of EWS housing.
by the state. The 74th amendment, which sought to
improve the powers of the ULB, involuntarily gave 7.2.8 Allocation of municipal budget
powers to the locally elected government also. The Municipal budgeting allocated a share of its funds
involvement of elected representatives is important for the urban poor till 2015-16 for sanitation, water
since they understand the needs of the people at the supply, health, education etc. The CMC publishes
local level. But unfortunately, this is not the case. annual budgets online, open to the public. In the
2015-16 budget, Rs 1,332 lakhs were apportioned to
The roles of elected officials in housing schemes the urban poor for services like street lights, gardens,
are limited to allocation of land for the project and conservation, maintenance of community halls etc.
beneficiary selection. Politicians misuse this small However, this was discontinued for 2016-17.
window of opportunity to direct development into
specific areas inhabited by their supporters. The 7.2.9 Institutional capacity
influence of politics is felt the most in land owner- JNNURM, being a large-scale development program,
ships and protection from eviction. Even within a provided funds for hiring additional staff to manage
large slum, where a significant portion of the people projects under BSUP and UIG. The ULB required
lack land ownership, a few have managed to procure additional staff support only for managing and coor-
patta (ownership document) from the government dination since the actual project execution was done
on account of party affiliation. Most of the in situ by private agencies, facilitated through Public Private
tenement schemes are propagated by political par- Partnerships (PPP). For this purpose, a JNNURM cell
ties to protect people from eviction, thus securing was formed within the corporation, and the TNSCB
their vote banks. Hence it is no surprise that every was given a Project Implementation unit. These units
slum in the city bears affiliation with political par- were responsible for floating tenders, project manage-
ties in hopes of procuring benefits and to voice their ment, inter departmental coordination and updating
concerns to the government. the SLNA on project status. But auditing reports (by
CAG) on JNNURM schemes in Coimbatore suggest
7.2.7 Reservation of land for the urban poor lack of inter departmental coordination.
In order to improve land availability for EWS projects,
an optional JNNURM reformmandated “earmark- Tbigger question in this context, however, is whether
ing at least 20-25% of developed land in all housing the ULB is equipped to lay out its own development

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

plan, as stated in the decentralization policy. Before constructing toilets for slum dwellers” and received
JNNURM, the city had a City Corporate Plan national recognition for its successful perfor-
developed by Wilbur Smith, a private agency. The mance. Similarly, the corporation won the “Best
Master for Coimbatore city was first prepared by the Corporation Award” in 2012 for implementing an
Local Planning Authority (LPA) in 1994 and had innovative solid waste management system and
not been revised till 2007, two years after the launch improved tax collection. These advancements are
of JNNURM that mandated the preparation of a certainly reflected in resettlement sites of the city
master plan. This suggests that planning was not a where there are no complaints about sanitation.
priority for the local government.
Bureaucratic red-tape was formerly inherent in
But since JNNURM there has been a thrust in the work of both the state and local governments.
building local capacity for plan preparations. The But after the shift to e governance modes, there
Master plan was revised in 2011, with the help of has been a significant improvement in application
the Centre, using new mapping technologies (GIS, procedures. Building plan approvals, payment
GPS and remote sensing). In 2015, workshops were of bills and taxes, complaint registration etc are
conducted by the Directorate of Town and Country enabled though online services making procedures
Planning (DTCP) for LPA officials to enhance their quite easy and convenient for the public. The
skills for preparing the Coimbatore Master Plan CMC is also one of the first corporations to initi-
2035. However, detailed project reports are prepared ate e-governance in Tamil Nadu. But these online
independently by the respective departments in conveniences have not trickled down to all of the
CMC and TNSCB to obtain project approval from urban poor and most of them are unaware of these
the state. Development policies have been modified changes in the governance system.
to include improvement of institutional capacities
and thus have positively affected the capability of 7.3 Comparative Analysis
the local government to plan and govern its own This section presents a basic comparison of the case
development activities. studies conducted based on various parameters
associated with user satisfaction and those that
7.2.10 Local Government Initiatives influence the project during its stages of design &
Coimbatore Corporation has performed well in implementation. The factors of comparison were
several of its initiatives like e-governance, sanita- derived from literatures and the satisfaction levels of
tion, solid waste management, education and lake beneficiaries were identified through their feedback
restoration. Toilet First was an initiative that from surveys and focus discussions. The compara-
was launched by the CMC “to gather funds for tive analysis is presented in the table below: ◆

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PART 7 – REFLECTIONS

Table 3
Comparative analysis of three case studies: Siddhapudur, Ammankulam and Balasubramaniam Nagar

PARAMETERS SIDDHAPUDHUR USER AMMANKULAM USER BALASUBRAMANIAMNAGAR USER

RATING RATING RATING
Security of Tenure Floor Rights  Floor Rights  Land Rights 
Community No participation - Partial participation in - Limited to construction of DU -
Participation dwelling allocation
Beneficiary contribution Monthly installment of Rs Rs 19,150 as initial down High (Rs 50,000 on average)
250 per month till 20 yrs payment
Encroachments Residential type along - Commercial type on - None -
setbacks & on reserved setback spaces
green area

HOUSING

Typology Multi Storied Tenements  Multi Storied Tenements  Individual house 
User Space 20 sqm  27 Sqm  27 sqm subject to user needs 
Flexibility of Dwelling No flexibility No flexibility Highly flexible
Design
Construction quality Sub Standard  Sub Standard  Dependent on user 
(generally good)
Maintenance level No maintenance Average (recently Repairs and renovation by
constructed) users

SOCIAL AMENITIES

Recreation facilities Open space reservation  Community hall and  No special community spaces 
only green spaces (park) with in the layout
proposed library
Schools Within 200 m  Within 1 km  Within 1 km 
Hospitals PHC (2 km)  PHC (1 km)  PHC (1 km) 
Hospital (4 km) Hospital (4 km) Hospital (4 km)
Transport facilities Within 300 m  Within 500 m  Within 300 m 

INFRASTRUCTURE

Water supply Common Taps  Piped connection for hard  Common Taps (Layout for piped 
water, common pipe for connection is already in place)
potable water
Sewerage Individual toilets with  Individual toilets with  Public toilets and individual 
septic tanks septic tanks toilets
Storm water Drains Absent  Closed and open drains  Closed drains 
Solid Waste Informal dump yards &  Informal dump yards &  Shared community bins 
Management Community bins in bring Community bins in bring
system system
Electricity Few households have illegal  Legal connection  Legal connection 
connections
Street Lighting Adequate and maintained  Adequate but not  Adequate and well maintained 
maintained

Good -  Average -  Bad - 

Source: Infographics by author

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 8 – TOWARDS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

PART 8
TOWARDS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Coimbatore is a developing city where the pressures worrisome picture. All resettlement scenarios in
of urbanization are just starting to mount. Various the city reek of a divide between the government
policies and schemes have been implemented in the and beneficiaries. Governmental agencies have not
city in response to tackling the issues of housing taken the steps to understand their users or their
demand, inadequate infrastructure and informal basic needs. The users on the other hand have found
settlements. This case study has attempted to many loopholes within the law to fulfill their needs.
study the various housing policies that have been
implemented in the context of the urban poor to Secondly, the government needs to involve com-
gain an understanding of the various factors that munity participation at all levels of planning and
influence its outcome. Only through learning from project design. This is particularly essential in the
past experiences can upcoming policies like PMAY case of housing schemes where there is a need to
be implemented in a proper way so as to serve the understand the users’ way of living and livelihood.
needs of the urban poor. It is paramount that the parastatal agencies and the
local government change their outlook on the way
Pro poor housing policies have continuously evolved they it provide housing to the Urban Poor. Vertical
over time to include a lot of positive factors. Some enclaves that conflict with the very lifestyle of the
of the significant advances that were incorporated inhabitants and poorly designed communal spaces
in the framework of the policies are on agendas that are unresponsive to the collective needs of the
of security of tenure, community participation, society are some of the major shortcomings in social
provision of civic amenities, housing, infrastructure housing schemes. Feedback from the community
development, fiscal management and improved must be sought by the government to identify and
transparency of government functions. Though address the failings in current policies and to rectify
most of the stated functions have not been executed, these in future development programmes.
the change in ideology itself is noteworthy.
Thirdly, public agencies must cease to ownland in
Firstly, the scale of the problems with regard to urban resettlement schemes as this defeats the purpose of
poor housing is quite small in comparison to cities instilling a feeling of security among the marginal
like Chennai. Recent housing schemes under BSUP population. The provision of tenure must instigate
appear to be successful as it hasn’t faced opposition a sense of ownership and must not be used as a tool
from the public for evictions and resettlements. for future leverage by the authorities. Unsuccessful
The CMC employed in situ construction on a large attempts of ownership in the past, by conferring
scale by allocating more than half of BSUP funds to floor rights instead of land rights, must be modified.
this model. Availability of land within the city was Finally, the institution must be more responsible
the key reason why these projects were successful. when laying out future development plans for the
But despite the smooth implementation of projects city, and must be equipped with capable human
the satisfaction levels of the inhabitants present a resources to carry out the same. Proper recording

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
PART 8 – TOWARDS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

and documentation of the city with respect to infra- and maintenance of common areas in the city. But it
structure and marginal settlements must be done still needs to go a long way in the housing scenario
periodically. In the context of informal settlements for the Urban Poor.
there is hardly any data on the demography, socio
economic profile, built environment or infrastruc- For Coimbatore to survive future pressures like
ture making it difficult to assess them. Urban Poor housing demand and the increasing
number of slums within the city, it must adopt
Nevertheless, there has been a positive effect on innovative approaches unlike the current policies.
the institutional framework and capacity due to Integrated development should be stressed, focus-
JNNURM. Regular workshops and training pro- ing not only on housing but also on economics
grammes were mandated and local officials were and infrastructure. Decentralized development is
given responsibilities for the project. Bureaucratic underway with commercial hubs and residential
procedures were simplified by the shift to e-gov- zones being pushed to the peripheries. The resettle-
ernance systems and there has been significant ment colonies could be planned in a phased manner
enhancement in the vision of the local government in correlation with decentralization so that the
as demonstrated by its novel initiatives. The ULB relocated people have new economic opportunities,
has been performing well in certain infrastructural since loss of livelihood and long commutes are the
agendas like solid waste management, sanitation chief concerns of the displaced population.

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
REFERENCES

REFERENCES

Documents BSUP: State wise Report for latest Progress at Project & City Level,
Monitoring Report, Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation, May
An overview of urban sector reforms in India: Changes in the 5th 2017
paradigms of urban development, Rutul Joshi, N-AERUS Annual
Seminar 2003 Evaluation of State Level Reforms under JnNURM in India,
KhwairakpamDoreshor, Vol. 4(11), 12-19, International Research
Implementation of JNNURM -BSUP : A Case Study of the Housing Journal of Social Sciences, November 2015
Sector in Chennai, T. Venkat, M. Subadevan, DrLalitha Kamath, Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, August 2015 Introducing Urban Entrepreneurialism in India: An Analysis of
Programmatic Interventions, DebolinaKundu and Sudhir Krishna, 2017
Urban Governance Case Study Coimbatore, Dr. Lalitha Kamath, Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, August 2015 Memorandum of Agreement, JNNUM - between The Ministry of Urban
Development and Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, July 2006
The Board and the Bank: Changing Policies towards Slums in Chennai,
NithyaRaman,VolxlvI no 31, Review of Urban Affairs, July 30, 2011 JNNURM Ongoing Scheme Details- Coimbatore Corporation –
Coimbatore Corporation
Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund, L Krishnan, 2005
Setting up of PMU and PIU - Municipal Administration And Water
Lending to the poor: The World Bank in urban development in India, Supply (Ma2) Department, Order, May 2010
SanghamitraNath, European Scientific Journal, June 2015
Ammankulam Detailed Project Report
India Appraisal of the Madras Urban Development Project, World Bank
Report, February 15, 1977 Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation – Outcome Budget, 2016-2017,
Coimbatore Corporation
Project completion report India - Madras Urban Development Project
II, World Bank Report,May 23, 1990 Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation – Outcome Budget, 2015-2016,
Coimbatore Corporation
Revisiting Low Income Housing A Review of Policies and Perspectives,
PritikaHingorani, Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Profile of sites and services schemes in Chennai metropolitan area
November 17, 2011
Web links
Status Report On Urban Reforms In Tamil Nadu, Madras Institute of
Development Studies (MIDS), Chennai, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/slum-dwellers-to-
be-shifted-to-ammankulam-tenements-soon/article5656074.ece
The Tamil Nadu State Housing Board Act, 1961
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Slum-dwellers-all-
The Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement And Clearance) Act, 1971 set-to-shift-to-Amman-Kulam-on-Jan-5/articleshow/45746212.cms

Implementation Completion And Results Report, Third Tamil Nadu First phase of BSUP scheme will be completed by Dec. 31, The Hindu,
Urban Development Project, World Bank Report, September 30, 2014 Aug 4, 2010

Project Performance Assessment Report Second Tamil Nadu Urban http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/coimbatore-wins-best-

Development Project, World Bank Report, June 19,2007 corporation-award/article3777701.ece

Municipal Administration And Water Supply Department, Policy www.tufidco.in/

Note - 2006-2007
www.ccmc.gov.in
Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Local Bodies),
Government of Tamil Nadu, March 2011 http://mhupa.gov.in/User_Panel/DetailsView.
aspx?TypeID=1221&ID=1450

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REFERENCES

List of Interviews

Subramany – Superintending Engineer (SE), TNSCB

Rajashekaran – Executive Engineer (EE), TNSCB

Jeevanandam – Assistant Engineer (AE), TNSCB

Franklin – Assistant Engineer (AE), TNSCB

Finance Manager, TNSCB

MuthuPandian – Head of Community Development Wing (CDW),

TNSCB

Ganesan P – Area Counselor

JNNURM Cell, Coimbatore Corporation

Coimbatore Corporation officials

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ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING AND RESETTLEMENT POLICY AS A TOOL OF SLUM IMPROVEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research was supported by the Binucom

Project (funded by the Eramus+ Programme of the
European Union. I thank the partner institutions
from both India and Europe for having provided
the much-needed knowledge and insight through
their comments which helped in the completion of
this study. I am indebted to Tania Berger, Project
Coordinator for her unremitting guidance and
enthusiasm that kept me going throughout the pro-
ject. I am thankful to the residents of Siddhapudhur,
Ammankulam and Yeri Medu for their cooperation
and assistance in allowing our team to conduct the
research in their neighbourhood, participating in
the local dissemination workshops and for taking
the time to help with our study. Also special thanks
to all the government officials and planning profes-
sionals of Coimbatore for their valuable insight and
input which helped me to understand the context
of the city. I am grateful for the support of Shyam
Prakash, Vijay Krishna, Hiranmayi Shankavaram,
Paul Varghese, Jinal Wadgama and the students of
Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, which Author Bio
aided in the completion of this cases study. Last but
not the least, I would like to acknowledge Rishab Janani Thiagarajan
Sharma and P. Kathiravan for their assistance with is a researcher in the Binucom project under the
managerial and administrative procedures. ◆ Erasmus+ Programme and a faculty member at the
Department of Architecture at Karpagam Academy
of Higher Education. Her work focuses on the urban
agendas like access to basic infrastructure, social
inequalities and the urban built environment. Her
area of expertise includes policy planning and land
market analysis using quantitative data analysis. She
has received her Master in City Planning degree from
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and Bachelor
of Architecture degree from Visvesvaraya National
Institute of Technology Nagpur.

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