Thursday 26 December 2013

Sunday 27 October 2013

Our Researchers Speak Out

Our Researchers along with other activists speak out about the living conditions in  Resettlement Sites...

(Findings from our research studies quoted in the documentary by Thanthi TV)






To watch the documentary, click here

Monday 30 September 2013

Status of Homeless Shelter in Madurai: Media Report

Status of Homeless Shelter in Madurai: "Life at Corpn. Night Shelter Miserable" 
- The New Indian Express




IRCDUC Researchers visits Madurai with NULM Team Member

To ensure value addition to the homeless initiative under the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration the IRCDUC researcher accompanies NULM team member





En Masse Housing Schemes: Media Report

"The en masse schemes have drawn criticism from the rights activist who are demanding in situ settlement of slum dwellers rather than pushing them to periphery of the cities.The  housing at Perumbakkam and Ezhil Nagar in Chennai (near Kannagi Nagar and Semmenchery) are constructed for the people residing in the slums in various parts of Chennai.
“These habitations are too far from the place of livelihood of these communities. Hence, the state can allot these constructed houses for the deprived urban communities living around these settlements rather than for those who are already residing far away,” says Vanessa Peter, policy researcher, information and resource centre for the deprived urban community." - The New Indian Express.

To read the entire article, click here

How it all began... Tracing the origins of the "Shelter for Homeless Initiative" in Chennai

How it all began...


To read more, Click here

Thursday 25 July 2013

The Massive Housing Projects for the Deprived Urban Communities are but GHETTOS!

The massive housing projects constructed for the Deprived Urban Communities are but GHETTOS:

The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy - 2007 (Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation) aims to "promote sustainable development of habitat in the country with a view to ensure equitable supply of land, shelter and services at affordable price to all sections of the society"

The Policy reiterates that the State Government (in consultation with the Urban Local Bodies) prepare the State Urban Housing and Habitat Policy. The State to take all necessary steps for the implementation of the State Urban Housing and Habitat Policy. 

Yet we do not have a comprehensive policy to set standards for the housing programs in the state. The Slum Act lays down the rules for legalizing the habitats but do not have any specifications on housing standards!

To read the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, click here...

To read the Housing and Urban Development, Policy Note ( 2013-1014) of Government of Tamil Nadu, click here...

Despite being the forerunner of bringing forth the Slum Act, TN has no clear-cut policy guidelines to steer the implementation of its massive projections for housing.

To read the article below, click here...


Sunday 21 July 2013

Slum Fires: Accident, Arson or Eviction?


Slum Fires: Accident, Arson or Eviction?

61 slum fires were reported in the city since 2010

They left 11 people dead

Caused losses of more than 33 lakh

To read more kindly click here...



Wednesday 17 July 2013

Handbook for Communities(in Tamil): "What to do in the event of Forced Evictions?"

IRCDUC and HLRN (Housing and Land Rights Network) presents our handbook for communities (in Tamil) titled "What to do in the event of FORCED EVICTIONS?"

Click here, to avail to avail the soft copy of the handbook.



Snapshots on the Release of the Handbook, Click here...


Tuesday 16 July 2013

Looking Back: One-Year Journey of IRCDUC

Our intervention in the year 2012 had enabled us to realize that the community-centric approach is the most successful strategy that can bring about constructive changes. Community-centric processes like that of citizens report has provoked discussion among the policy makers resulting in bringing about pro-poor progressive changes.  



  • IRCDUC now comprises of  4 community based organisationss and 2 civil society groups working together to assert for right to adequate housing
  • Our intervention this year has resulted in formation of 2 local level people’s collectives in Coimbatore
  • Community leaders from over 30 habitations across the 3 cities of Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai have been provided awareness on Rajiv Awas Yojana
  • Over 5 meetings have been conducted with the Corporation of Chennai and the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board resulting in over 20 crores allotted for development work in this settlement including roads, street lights, garbage removal and the CM’s subsidized food schemes
  • Public demonstrations have been organized in Coimbatore and Madurai demanding the Government to legalize the urban habitations. The communities are able to now assert for their right to adequate housing. 
  • Community Monitoring processes initiated in Madurai to monitor the implementation of RAY
  • Toilet facilities has been ensured in 3 location
  • Sewage facilities has been ensured in 2 slums
  • Safe drinking water facilities availed in 2 slums
  • IRCDUC provides technical support for Shelters for Homeless Intervention in the Corporation of Chennai
IRCDUC's various reports has been instrumental in bringing to the attention of the policy makers the various issues related to gaps in the infrastructure facilities at the slums and also bring about changes...

Our Identities Disclosed - Music Video

Even Gods have Spaces... But WE who built the cities have no space to call our own...


To listen to our music video kindly click here

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Chennai Corporation opens 30 Shelters for the Homeless!!!

The Corporation of Chennai is now in the process of operationalising 30 shelters for the urban homeless in Chennai. The Policy Researchers from IRCDUC has been facilitating the process by translating the guidelines of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Tamil and by training the personnel involved in the management of the shelters.

To read the directions and guidelines of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, kindly click here







First step towards ERADICATING "STIGMA" enforced on the DISPLACED & DEPRIVED urban communities

IRCDUC honours 47 children of class 12, 3 children of class 10, their teachers and the principal of the higher secondary school in Kannagi Nagar, for having scored high marks despite the difficult situation that they live in.  One girl child from Kannagi Nagar has scored 1142/1200 and 3 children has scored 100/100 in Tamil, Mathematics and Science. 



The displaced & deprived urban communities who were forced to move to these resettlement locations far from their original place of habitations have been facing untold misery because of the the size of housing that is more like a chicken coop with no space for privacy, loss of livelihood of their parents,  lack of basic amenities and the "stigma" forcefully enforced on them. Many children have dropped out of schools and exposed to multiple vulnerabilities because of these living conditions. 

Kannagi Nagar along with the other resettlement site has been branded as area where there is "high crime rate"... "teenage pregnancies...."child marriage" and various other "anti-social elements"... however... we at IRCDUC seeks to eradicate this negative branding by letting the world know of the existence of young brilliant children who are trying their best to come up in life... and if given opportunities they will rise above the stars.  

We salute the girl children who have been the top scorers in this examination!


We salute the teachers for their never ending support!



We salute the member of the Urban Local Body for now aspiring to provide basic amenities for the site!


Last but certainly not the least we Salute all the Children in Kannagi Nagar who are striving hard to succeed despite living in distress situations!


Our Best Wishes!!!

Sunday 9 June 2013

CLARION CALL FOR JUSTICE... our own newsletter!!!

IRCDUC wishes to share the first issue of our newsletter - a clarion call for justice.



Click here, to read more...

Kindly write back to us at ircduc.chennai@gmail.com for hard copies of the same.

Sunday 2 June 2013

Community Leaders from Coimbatore and Madurai informed about RAY and JNNURM

IRCDUC along with Transparent Chennai has been instrumental in training Community Leaders and representatives from Civil Society Orgnaisation from the informal settlements of Coimbatore and Madurai on RAY and JNNURM





To know more about the discussions, kindly click here to see the presentation made by Transparent Chennai

Saturday 18 May 2013

Over 400 people from Kannagi Nagar benefit because of the single window system for ensuring basic entitlements

Over 400 displaced people from Kannagi Nagar now have submitted petitions for widow pension, ration card, income certificate and employment schemes through the single window system












Saturday 4 May 2013

Community Leaders Trained on Urban Housing Policies and Rajiv Awas Yojana




Researcher from Transparent Chennai has enhanced the capacities of the community leaders from North Chennai  on the various urban housing policies with emphasis on Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY).

The community leaders have vouched to take the information back to the communities and form a monitoring group at the slum level to monitor the enumeration as well as the implementation of RAY.

The key aspects of the RAY Guidelines on Community Participation was translated so that the communities will be able to gain awareness on the same and further participate in the RAY processes.

To avail the Tamil Version of the Guidelines on Community Participation, kindly click here...