Work under way to construct free houses for Irulars in Tirupattur

DRDA constructing free houses for 700 Irular families near Tirupattur town. Houses, community hall, anganwadi centre, OHT and pathways with bitumen being provided. 28 houses near Velakalnatham dam ready, final touches being done. Beneficiaries to receive houses soon.

Homeless Irular families near Tirupattur town would soon get their own houses as the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has started to construct free houses for Irulars near the town. DRDA officials said that around 700 Irular families have been identified in the district. Most of these families were scattered across Jolarpet, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Natrampalli and Yelagiri Hills in the district.

“Apart from free houses, basic amenities such as bitumen roads, water taps and power supply are also being provided in the new habitations. Among Irulars, the families that are economically most backward in the district were prioritised for the free houses. More beneficiaries are being identified,” K. Selvarasu, project director, DRDA (Tirupattur), told The Hindu. Collector D. Baskara Pandian laid the foundation stone for new houses for 16 Irular families currently residing in huts in Jammapudur and Bommikuppam villages near Tirupattur town. The new houses are being constructed under the Comprehensive Tribal Development Programme (CTDP) 2022-23. The new houses will be ready in three months.

The cost of the houses built on the hills, including Yelagiri Hills, is higher than the ones on the plains due to the cost of transportation incurred while hauling building materials along the rocky terrain. Each house, built at a cost of ₹5.21 lakh and measuring 300 sq.ft, encompasses a living room, bedroom, kitchen and attached toilets. A community hall with a seating capacity of at least 100 people, and an anganwadi centre, also form part of the new habitation. To ensure safe drinking water supply for the families, an overhead tank (OHT) with a capacity of 30,000 litres is also being built. Pipelines will be laid to provide uninterrupted water supply to the new houses. Electricity connection and pattas for the land will be provided to the beneficiaries. Pathways in the new habitations will be laid with bitumen for easy access to the village, particularly for ambulances during emergencies.  DRDA officials said that free houses for 28 Irular families around Velakalnatham dam near Jolarpet town were ready. Final touches such as painting works and levelling of the surrounding areas are under way. The completed new houses will be handed over to the beneficiaries soon.