Kollam: Dhobi community alleges foul play in rehabilitation
24 Dhobi families settled in heart of the city have been denied title deed by authorities over the years.
Kollam: A community of laundry workers (Dhobis) who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh and settled in Kollam a century ago are struggling for their existence. A total of 24 Dhobi families settled in the heart of the City, popularly referred to as ‘Alakkukuzhi’ or the ‘laundry pit’ have been denied the title deed by the authorities over the years. These residents have now been offered a proposal by the Kollam Corporation to be rehabilitated at Mundakkal, which has been facing the wrath of the sea, for which at least a few of the community members are not in agreement.
The well-planned potential eviction is so that the face of Kollam city can be lifted by removing “unwanted humans” as Alakkukuzhi has been the proposed site for a multi-level car park.
The families live in a cluttered colony spanning 85 cents of land where the more than 80-years-old drainage system converges and floods the area during rains. “The newly found area to rehabilitate our community is a land strip at Mundakkal, that lies between the Kollam Thodu and just 15 meters from the Papanasam sea. The area is vulnerable to natural calamities including the wrath of the sea and is also unsuitable to construct houses as the soil there is loosely packed sand,” R. Murugan of Dhobi colony told DC. The proposal to construct houses in 1.5 acres of land in Mundakkal is under Life Mission to be executed by Kudumbasree on a budget of '3 crores.
The community members have submitted petitions to the Kollam Mayor and District Collector pointing out their concerns over the proposed rehabilitation, which did not elicit a favourable response. They had approached the concerned governments for the title deeds in 1980, 1993, and 2005 , but were refused citing the land was of prime use by the Corporation.
“Nearly an acre of land in different plots under the same survey number have been given title deeds while it is denied to the Dhobi community,” Mr. Murugan added. “We are not against development, but the lives of our younger ones should be secured,” a desperate Murugan says.