Chintadripettah slum – A birds eye view

Chintadripettah slum – A birds eye view

Chintadripettah which is located in Chennai was once called as chinna thari pettai because of its novelty weaving .Later it’s modified as Chintadripettah for colloquial usage. It’s one of the oldest places in Chennai, though it’s considered to be formed in 1735. 

The first rail line of the Indian sub-continent came up near Chintadripet Bridge in Madras Presidency in 1836 as an experimental line .Now; the local place was covered with foreground of slum connecting from Riche Street to chintadripettah railway station. Opposite to the railway station there is a metro water supply board following a State Bank ATM and their huts are mushroomed at the two ends of the road which leads to Riche Street.

The slum contains nearly 500 huts in an area of 1 km ranging from chintadaripettah to Riche Street. The local area has 12 pettishop, 4 grocery shops, 5 Mike set mart and 3 silver vessel rental shop since the street welcomes all Indian festivals it has 4 pillayar kovil, an amman koil ,St. Antonio’s church and two small Muslim community local mosque which does not have centering and roofs.

Each hut provides a space only for two persons; Huts have a single television in which Sun TV is the largest viewed channel. Huts were 2m in width, 3m in length and about 7 feet in height. Nearly 4% of the women sitting outside the plastic sheet made huts .20% of the women found washing clothes on the 2 meter road, 30% were engaged in cooking afternoon’s lunch,5% were just awake from bed or chatting ,2% watching television channels, meantime 3% were relaxing or sleeping. At least 10% of the kids engaged in bath, watching TV or sitting in streets.
People of chintadripettah are 50% black and 50% are red Indians in which most of the women wore saree and men wore lungies. Young girl’s wears salvar and young male dressed in formals. 

About 30% of the adult women are reported to be working, most of the male hired taxi autos for business. At least 30 % were having breakfast in the street. Total population has 20% male young women and men, 20% kids, 15% old people and 45 % are adult.
Two public toilets,a government school and a municipal office are located within the slum .Police security has been provided at the end of the street to avoid riots and public nuisance. 10 feet clay made painted Vinayagar statue is kept outside their slum at the end of the Riche Street, its waiting to dissolve in sea after the end of this Vinayakar Chudurthi festival.

_lingaraja Sivanaiah