A PRESENTATION ON

SATHYAVANI MUTHU NAGAR / S. M. NAGAR

Sathyavani Muthu Nagar (or ) S. M. Nagar

Submitted By:Mr. R. AnandMr. K. AnbarasanMr. C. BajarengapathiMr. R. Ranjith kumarMiss. M. RamyaMiss. C. S. SaranyaMiss. K. SuryakalaMr. S. SriramMr. P.T. Venmani Babu

Slum Visit to Sathyavani Muthu NagarSubmitted to : Mr. S. Rengasamy

Definition of Slum• A slum, as defined by the United Nations

agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. "Slum" was originally used mainly in the phrase "back slum," meaning a back room and later "back alley".

The marked area in red, 325/350, is Sathyavani Muthu Nagar

Location of AreaSathyavani Muthu Nagar or S.M.Nagar, as it is called in that locality, is nestled between:

• Wakf Board College on the East,• Anna Bus Stand,• Collector Office, Govt. Veterinary College and Gandhi Museum

on the West and• Karumballai on the North

S.M.Nagar falls under Ward No. 11 of the Madurai Corporation, known as the VIP Ward. Some important landmarks covered by this Ward include Collector’s Office, Madurai District Court, Madurai Govt. Law College, Madurai Govt. Medical College, Madurai Govt. Veterinary College, MISS College, American College, Wakf Board College, Gandhi Museum, Thamukkam Grounds, Rajah Sir Muttiah Mandram, Eco Park, etc.

HistoryIn 1960s, some 100 families residing in Thallakulam, Sweeper Colony were shifted by the then DMK Govt. to this present location which, then, belonged to the Wakf Board. In the late 1960s Ms. Sathyavani Muthu, DMK Minister for Harijan Welfare and Information made an arrangement as per which land be given to all the inhabitants in the measurement of 20 x 20 sq. ft. So, area has been named in her remembrance.

Dark History

Some of the oldest inhabitants recollected dark memories of the practice of untouchability, namely, the two tumbler system, prohibition of harijans into caste hindu locales, etc in olden days. Practice of untouchability has been ditched for good and, thus, S.M.Nagar community has been cleansed of it.

ABOUT SATHYAVANI MUTHUSHE WAS AN INDIAN POLITICIAN AND AN INFLUENTIAL DALIT LEADER. SHE HELD THE POSITION OF MLA, MEMBER OF RAJYA SABHA AND UNION MINISTER DURING HER POLITICAL CAREER. SHE ACCUSED THE RULING DMK GOVT. UNDER DR. M. KARUNANIDHI AS BEING PREJUDICED TOWARDS HARIJAN WELFARE AND QUIT THE PARTY AND FLOATED A NEW PARTY IN THE NAME ‘THAZHTHAPATTOR MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM’, WHICH SHE LATER MERGED WITH THE RULING ADMK GOVT. UNDER DR. M. G. RAMACHANDRAN. SHE HAD CONTESTED ELECTIONS 6 TIMES AND WON THRICE.

Statistics of Ward No. 11: (all approx. figures)• Population : 3500 people• No. of families : 1000• No. of houses : 450• Literacy Rate : 80% of total population• No. of Streets : 4• Number of Public toilets : 2• Name of Councillor : Mr. V. Karuppaiah

HousingMulti-floored Concrete houses, Tiled housed, Asbestos-roofed houses and makeshift houses covered by flex sheets, all find place in this area.

Some inhabitants have made use of the Govt. grant of Rs. 65,000 to re-build their houses better. They are now eligible to procure a Govt. housing loan of upto Rs. 80,000.

Ration Shop & Groceries:

• The ration shop at Karumballaiis where rice and cereals are procured. Another ration shop in Karumballai distributeskerosene. Free Govt. gas stoves have been distributed to all.

• ‘Uzhavar Santhai’ in Anna Nagar satisfies their grocery needs. There are 3 petty shops inside the location. Groceries are also sold through hand-moved carts, which go around daily. Meat-stalls are available in nearby slum (Ward No. 9).

• Milk is available through milk-vendors in nearby places. Milk packets are also available in the shops.

The inaccessible ground-water level has made the, hand-pumps that have been installed long time ago, useless. These hand-pumps have not been removed, thereby, posing a hazard for road users.

WaterThe water level in this locality is below 600 ft, making water costly commodity. Drinking water is supplied through pipelines for about 3 hrs per day on alternate days. This drinking water is used for all other purposes like bathing, washing, etc. Each house had big drums and buckets holding water.

ToiletToilet

Sanitation There are 2 common toilets built by the Corporation. One

of them is to be paid for usage while the other being free. Both the toilets are not being maintained properly due to unavailability of ground water.

However, most importantly, the implementation of underground drainage facility has led to the increase in number of attached toilets being built by the populace and subsequently led to the decrease in the usage of the 2 common toilets.

DrainageUnderground Drainage facilities have been implemented some 10 years back. The area has improved by leaps and bounds after the underground facility being provided. Now, each house has got drainage connection. Moreover, failure to connect to the underground drainage will result in their house being flooded with drainage water. This has prompted them to opt for the better one.

Since, the area is low-lying area water stagnation is prevalent during rainy season. Though the councillor refutes this charge.

Waste is being collected daily morning by corporation vehicles, it though, needs fine-tuning. The people are aware of source segregation and have been distributed plastic bins under the two-bin system for separating Degradable and Bio-degradable waste, but they do not use them. The location is relatively cleaner than any other slum area.

Solid Waste Disposal

Hospitals

The Madurai Rajaji Govt. Hospital is where most of the inhabitants go to in case of any illness. There are many private hospitals operating nearby. There is a Primary Health Care Centre in Anna Nagar which caters to the needs of children, old people and pregnant women.

Religion and CasteThe unity among the inhabitants belonging to various religions and castes is a striking feature of S.M.Nagar. Mentioning the name of any dominant religion or caste is bound to make a mockery of a long-standing practice of theirs, so we abstain ourselves from making that futile act. All religious festivals are being celebrated with equal fervor.

EducationThough, the area is slightly backward the working population is keen to educate their children. There in an Anganwadi in nearby Karumballai. Primary education is accessible at the Govt. Primary School in Karumballai.

Higher Secondary Education needs are met through Govt. school in Karumballai. There are a good number of Private educational institutions around like Nirmala School, Arul Malar School, Sengunthar School, Mahatma School, OCPM School, etc.

College students are studying in nearby colleges like Wakf Board College, American College, etc.

The Councillor spoke of a proposal to build a learning centre in S.M. Nagar which could function as a tuition centre.

LibraryLibrary is a vital requirement to spur the thoughts of the children and youth alike. There is a Library in Karumballai. The councillor told us that there is a proposal to put-up a library in S.M.Nagar.

Youngsters have opted to run petty fancy shops inside the locality and in nearby commercial areas.There are 3 roadside food-stalls being operated where items like idly, vadai, dosai, sambar, rice, etc are served. Some of the working population makes good use of these roadside food-stalls.

EmploymentThe inhabitants are employed as below:Organized Sector :Teachers, Lecturers, etc.Unorganized Sector : Sweepers, Painters, Mason, Carpenters, Daily labourers, House-maids, etc.

Self Help GroupThere are a couple of Self-Help Groups operating in this locality. Though, the existence of female SHGs are prominent, the existence of male SHG was interesting.

RoadsConcrete roads have been neatly laid 3 months back. Previously, the roads were in a dilapidated condition. Though the roads are presently good, they are very narrow.

TransportDirect Bus Transport is not feasible due to locational constraints. Residents have to walk from Anna Bus Stand, which is 1.50 Kms away, or Madurai District Court, which is also 1 Km away.Two-wheeler seems to be the favourite mode of transport as most of the families poses bikes. Children use the cycles distributed by the Govt. Schools. Private Auto-rickshaws also find usage. There were no four-wheelers in any of the houses.

Communication

Nearby post office is at Tallakulam – PINCODE – 625020.

Landline Telephones are available in few houses. Public Telephone booths are being made use of. Since mobile is cheap, it is possessed by most people. Still, possession of computer is a distant dream for all.

ElectricityPower is transmitted throughout the area from a transformer located in Karumballai.

EntertainmentThe children entertain themselves through playing Carrom Board, Pebble games, cycling, swimming, etc. All the people are in receipt of the Free Television Scheme introduced by the Govt.

Miscellaneous

There is a Saloon in the locality to provide hair-cut to the

inhabitants.

There is a mobile Ironing service provider in that

locality. The prevalence of the ironing of clothes is an

indicator of the growth and development of S.M.Nagar.

Prevalent Social Problems:

• No Land Patta given after so many year of inhabitance• Child Marriage• School Drop-outs of teenage girls• Inferiority Complex among teenage girls• Gang behaviour among unemployed youth• Consangulous Marriage• Alcoholism prevalent in small pockets

Differentiating Feature of Sathyavani Muthu Nagar:

• Religious and Caste Unity• Awareness about Cleanliness• Love Marriages, mostly inter-caste• Payment of land taxes, water taxes, etc

ConclusionSathyavani Muthu Nagar, or S.M.Nagar, may have been

a slum with original characteristics in its past, but today this locality is a fast-developing area amidst the sprawling Madurai city. The exceptional growth in the surrounding areas may have influenced the minds of the inhabitants. As, some youths pointed out that they themselves felt ashamed to enter this premises in the past.

Nevertheless, this place can be hailed as a role model for all other slums. With more support from the society, particularly on the land issue, growth can be further kindled.

In our opinion, the area has all the necessary ingredients of becoming a much developed area. It may be aptly called a slightly backward urban area.

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Sathyavani Muthu Nagar Team

1. Mr. R. Anand2. Mr. K. Anbarasan3. Mr. C. Bajarengapathi4. Mr. R. Ranjith kumar5. Miss. M. Ramya6. Miss. C. S. Saranya7. Miss. K. Suryakala8. Mr. S. Sriram9. Mr. P.T. Venmani Babu

Thank You

for the

Enriching

Experience