P&T apartment residents protest against ‘leaking buildings’ before GCDA complex; Shiyas promises action by new govt

Kochi: Seeking a lasting solution to their miseries, the rehabilitated residents of P&T Colony in Mundamveli staged a day-long protest outside Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) office at Kadavanthra on Tuesday.

The agitating residents, who were relocated from a flood-prone slum to the newly constructed apartment complex, alleged total apathy from authorities regarding severe structural damage, rampant water leakages and regular septic waste overflows in their new homes.

The protest quickly gained political steam as Ernakulam MLA Mohammad Shiyas joined the agitation, demanding a vigilance probe into what he termed a major construction ‘scam’. Shiyas promised to directly take up the issue with the chief minister, while pledging immediate support to enhance the basic living conditions of the 76 families currently stranded in the dilapidated complex.

“The previous govt did nothing to address the concerns of the residents for the last two years. I will write to the CM to conduct a high-level study to assess whether the apartment complex is suited for residing or not, the building strength and the like on a war footing. The residents are not happy with the earlier IIT Madras study. And if suitable for habitat, the new govt will carry out the rectification measures and address the other concerns of the residents like drainage, septic tank and high-tension wire located close to the buildings,” Shiyas said.

For decades, the 76 families resided at the old P&T Colony on the banks of Perandoor Canal near Kadavanthra, where even a brief spell of rain would push toxic, stinking canal water directly into their houses. Their long-awaited relocation to the Mundamveli flat complex, constructed at a cost of over Rs 14 crore under state govt’s LIFE Mission housing scheme, in Jan 2024, was meant to be a permanent upgrade. Instead, reality turned out to be a living nightmare. Within months of moving into the complex, structural flaws became aggressively clear.

The protesters rued that the GCDA officials failed to give any concrete assurance, and that they would take legal recourse against the ‘apathy’ of the authorities.

“The buildings continue to leak as the quality is substandard. We will move the court against the corrupt officials of GCDA. Our immediate priority is to make the residents safe during the rainy season. A high-tension wire is also passing close by, without the mandatory distance of 2.9m,” said Abhilash Mundamveli, president of P&T Apartment Residents Association.

Despite repeated attempts, GCDA officials refused to comment on the issue.

Earlier GCDA terminated the original contractor, Thrissur District Labour Contract Cooperative Society (TDLC), citing highly substandard work. To systematically address the deep-rooted structural flaws, the authority also commissioned a detailed engineering study from IIT Madras. Concurrently, the Kochi corporation stepped in, agreeing to fund and execute extensive truss-roofing work across the entire apartment complex to halt the overhead rainwater entry entirely. However, for the protesting residents, these multi-agency assurances will mean very little until the dripping ceilings and overflowing waste tanks are permanently fixed.