KOCHI: The preparatory demolition at Alfa Serene, one of the four ill-fated apartment complexes at Maradu, has been giving nearby residents sleepless nights ever since it began.
A couple of days ago, brothers Gokul Krishna, 4, and Karthik Narayan narrowly escaped injuries when large pieces of concrete from the apartment complex fell on the premises of their house, close to where they were playing. A day later, on Friday, the supporting pillar of the staircase in their house developed a major crack after Vijay Steels, the firm tasked with demolishing Alfa Serene, razed a two-storey structure on its premises with an earthmover.
“It felt like an earthquake. The entire house shook when the structure was demolished. That was when the crack appeared,” said Hari Chandran, Gokul and Karthik’s father, pointing at the cracked portion of the staircase.
“If this is the case now, what will happen when they blast the apartment complex on January 12? We are afraid as our house is not built to withstand such impact,” said Chandran. His mother Harshamma Ramakrishnan said the government will be answerable if something happens to them.
“My daughter-in-law was forced to move to her house at Kakkanad after she developed breathing trouble due to the demolition work. Luck saved my grandsons,” she said.
She alleged the agencies roped in for the demolition were not following the safety guidelines laid down by the government. Around 12 houses situated within 15m of Alfa Serene apartment complex and 52 houses within its 50-m radius are under threat.
‘Demolish complexes in less-populated areas first’
Shaji K R, another resident said, this was the first time that such a demolition was taking place in the state. He alleged even the firms engaged for the work were not confident whether residents living nearby the complexes would be safe. “Since Alfa Serene is located in a densely-populated area, the government should first demolish complexes like Golden Kayaloram and Jains Coral Cove, which are situated in a non-populated area. Doing so will help them understand the impact of the demolition and work out a better strategy to ensure the safety of people living near the complexes,” said Shaji, adding that a memorandum in this regard will be submitted to the government.