Visit to

Aruldasspuram

Mary AshaSuganya

Mohammad Yasar Arafath

Rajkumar

Allan Johnny Doss

PasamalarKuppu Jothi Kumar

Pandiyarajan

Balachandar

Sree Padmini.

The Team

SLUMSlum is an area in the city where there is

lack of basic facilities and where downtrodden people struggle for their

living and basic needs of life.

For some it is a platform for many it is their

shelter. They reside still in platform…

They are still considered are refugees

because they do not possess the property.

Location

Aruldasspuram is located near Thathaneri, Madurai North. It comes under Ward No. 21 of Corporation of Madurai.

History

Mugam:

Flood occurred in Madurai in the year 1979. the

people near Vaigai river were largely affected by the

flood.

Those people were shifted and relocated to

Aruldasspuram. The then chief minister of Tamil

Nadu Mr. M.G.Ramachandran gave this land to

those people. They are there in the area for more

than 30 years.

Krishna Nagar:

People of Krishna Nagar are the real residents of

Aruldasspuram.

EDUCATION

• The children in the slum study in the nearby corporation school.

• Mostly they do not go for higher education because of their financial constraint.

• Awareness of education among the people is very low.

Schools in the Area:

• Thiru.Vi.ka. Corporation Hr.Sec.School

• A Primary school which comes under the scheme of Central Government’s “Sarva Shiksha Abhyaan”.

Drawbacks

• They do not have proper house to live.

• There are very few properly laid lanes.

• Shelter provides less protection from monsoon rains.

• There are no proper bathrooms.

• If there is heavy rain water will start flowing inside the house and the whole area will be surrounded by flood water.

• The people who have settled in the later 70’s do not have permanent houses.

• The people do not have patta for the land.

HEALTH HAZARDS

• Due to their low income and their poor living conditions there of chances of unbalanced diet, which may lead to malnutrition and other related disease.

• They do not have proper health centers and hospitals nearby to their residence.

• Due to the poor hygienic conditions they are largely

affected by the endemic and epidemic diseases.

Prevailing social problem

• Consangulous marriages are prevalenent among the people.

• School dropout of teenage children.

• No patta for houses of mugam area.

• Men consumes alcohol at higher rate and because of this there is large number of death at earlier age. So women are forced to work to lift the family financially.

Overview of the area• Nearly 50 families are residing

in the area.

• People in the mugam area have settled here, after the occurrence of flood in the year 1979. The then chief minister of Tamil Nadu Mr.M.G.Ramachandran gave this land to the people who are affected by the flood. They do not possess the property, whereas the native people residing in Krishna Nagar possess the property.

• Hinduism is the predominant religion. Nearby there are 2 temples one is Hanumantharayan temple and the other is Mariamman temple. The people of this slum worship goddess Mariamman.

• There is a police station in the main road.

• Some petty shops and grocery shops are there in the area.

FACILITIES• Drinking water is supplied

by the corporation in alternative days.

• They also have a drinking water over tank under “jnnuram” scheme.

• They have joint electricity facility.

• They have a common wash room which is constructed by the corporation and they have to pay for it.

OCCUPATION• Generally men work as

coolie on temporary basis.• There are also washer men,

iron men, masons and carpenters.

• They have a union for the washer men.

• Women work as domestic maids to support their family financially.

• Some girls work in private concerns.

WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS

• There are 2 self help groups that are functioning in the slum. They are:

1) Sumangali 2) Ashirvadham• Women come to fulfill their

social and economic need.• They are to increase the

capabilities and confidence of women.

• They are to save and accumulate their capital resource.

• They are to increase their administrative skills.

Social system

• Inter-Caste marriage within their locality is followed. So that they can reside at the same area.

• The washer men and dalits are the

majority population.

• Hinduism is the predominant religion.

• Nearby there are two temples.

• The area deity is goddesses Mariamman

Steps to be taken by the corporation

• Relocation of slum residents to housing projects on the outskirts of city.

• Job opportunities can be given to them based on their skill and educational qualification.

• Establishing more educational institutions, health centers and developing other infrastructural facilities.

• Giving awareness on education.

• Mr. Pandyan of this mugam area struggled a lot to get the patta of the land for all the 50 families. But still they didn’t get the patta for the land.

• The people of this mugam area are suffering because they do not have permanent house.