Eviction Mapping

Conducted as part of the Transparent Cities Network, the aim of the eviction mapping exercise is to record information on the evictions of slums and informal settlements that have occurred in Chennai between 2005 and 2015, to draw attention to the adverse effects of these evictions, and more broadly, to draw attention to unjust land policies in the city.

There is no official and comprehensive record of the evictions that take place in Chennai because they are carried out by different city and state departments, and for a range of projects. As a result evictions are an invisible injustice, felt only by those men, women, and children whose homes, lives, and communities are demolished. To bring visibility to these evictions, we conducted this study on evictions in Chennai in the last decade.

The eviction map is a work in progress. So far we have recorded 63 evictions based on reports from community based organisations and community representatives. We collect data on the number of households evicted in each instance, the number rendered homeless and those who received units in the resettlement colonies, the characteristics of the settlements from which people were evicted (land tenure status, access to services, etc.) and other information from grassroots organisations and activists who have first hand knowledge of the evictions. We then do a physical verification of the area to confirm the location, determine the current status of the land, whether it is being used for the purpose that the eviction was undertaken for, and to interview residents to confirm all details.

Through the map and the report we have been able to bring attention to the problematic policy of the government in dealing with slums and informal settlements by uprooting them from their homes to live in large, far-away resettlement colonies. For example we found that 10% of the slums evicted during this period were ‘declared slums’ raising questions about the efficacy of ‘declaration’ as informal tenure security. The map is a powerful tool to make a case for the declaration of slums and in situ development of slums with protection from evictions.

Eviction Mapping

Eviction Mapping: Uncovering Chennai's Invisible Injustice (August 2015, English)

Eviction Mapping: Uncovering Chennai's Invisible Injustice (August 2015, Tamil)