The Lingering Ghost of Thanjavur: Three Years On, Crumbling Homes Await Their End

In the bustling heart of Thanjavur, amidst the vibrant rhythm of daily life, there's a quieter, more perilous hum: the slow, unsettling creak of old buildings giving way. It’s been three long years, you see, since the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) actually ordered the demolition of these decades-old, dilapidated housing units. And yet, there they stand, teetering, almost defiant in their decay, with families still calling them home.

Imagine the scene: walls scarred with cracks that spiderweb across the plaster, ceilings where patches have simply given up, exposing the skeletal remains of beams, and roofs? Well, let's just say the sky is often a closer neighbour than one might prefer. It's a truly concerning situation, a testament to what happens when bureaucracy and pressing human needs clash head-on.

The residents, brave souls, are, in truth, living on borrowed time. V Sekar, a retired government staffer and one of the many still clinging to a semblance of home here, paints a rather grim picture. "We constantly fear for our lives," he admitted, his voice likely tinged with that weariness only chronic anxiety can bring. "Rats and snakes are frequent visitors. And honestly, the monkeys? They just make matters worse, merrily pulling off tiles from the roof, further accelerating the decay." One can only imagine the sheer desperation, the constant, gnawing worry that each gust of wind, each downpour, could be the one that finally brings everything crashing down.

These units, nearly 500 of them, were constructed way back in the 1970s. They've seen generations, witnessed countless lives unfold within their now-fragile confines. Initially, some 300 families thrived here, but the relentless march of time, coupled with official inertia, has thinned their ranks considerably. Today, a mere 125 families remain, many having simply given up, moved on, or found alternative—and hopefully safer—shelter.

So, what’s the holdup? Why, after three years and a clear demolition order, do these structures remain a perilous monument to neglect? The age-old villain, of course: funds. Or rather, the distinct lack thereof. A. Balaji, the TNHB Executive Engineer in Thanjavur, openly acknowledged the bureaucratic labyrinth. A proposal for demolition and, crucially, reconstruction, was dutifully dispatched to Chennai, the state capital. The estimated cost? A staggering 65 crores. A sum, it seems, that the financially strained TNHB simply doesn't have lying around.

Their current strategy, and this is where the plot thickens a bit, involves a rather drawn-out solution. The TNHB aims to construct new flats on their own available land, then—and only then—will they transfer the existing residents. A plan, yes, but one that is inherently slow, fraught with the inevitable delays of land identification, planning, and construction. And while the wheels of progress turn at a glacial pace, these families continue to live under the shadow of collapsing roofs and cracking walls, especially, one might imagine, with the onset of the rains. The demolition order, issued back in 2021, feels less like a directive and more like a cruel, unfulfilled promise.