VADODARA: Residents of various Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) housing projects in Vadodara are still facing poor living conditions, despite promises of enhanced housing standards.
Constructed by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) under the Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) initiative, over 21,000 residences were built for economically disadvantaged groups between 2005-06 and 2013-14. The first residents moved in during 2010, but many have experienced deteriorating conditions within just two years.
Initial issues included water leaking from terraces and damage to overhead tanks. Residents alerted the authorities, resulting in attempts at remediation like waterproofing and updating terrace drainage systems. However, in several buildings, poor construction placed rainwater outlets above floor level, causing water build-up.
Over time, these issues have only intensified. Activists and residents have consistently raised alarms over the state of these housing units in areas such as Kishanwadi, Jambuva, and Jivannagar. In 2019, VMC conducted structural audits, insisting that the buildings were secure.
Despite these claims, concerning incidents have occurred. In 2022 and again in 2024, falling ceiling plaster injured one woman and tragically resulted in another’s death.
Officials from VMC contend that the core structures are intact, attributing most issues to seepage and inadequate maintenance. “The structure of JNNURM houses has no major flaws; the problems mainly involve plaster falling and seepage at certain points,” an official stated.
The civic body also highlighted that residents play a major role in the deterioration, claiming that routine maintenance of housing units is often ignored. If left unresolved, seepage from bathrooms and toilets exacerbates damage and leads to more ceiling plaster issues. Periodic notices are issued to residents regarding maintenance responsibilities.
VMC clarified that not every BSUP housing project is in disrepair, noting that many schemes throughout the city are in better condition, with complaints mostly confined to specific areas.
