KOCHI: The last of the residents are moving out of the Chander Kunj Army Towers in Silversand Island, Vyttila, as the deadline to vacate the twin towers marked for demolition passed on Wednesday.
In line with a High Court order dated September 10, all occupants of the flats there were asked to vacate within seven days so that the committee headed by the district collector could initiate demolition procedures at the earliest.
In its final judgment, the court had disposed of all pending writ petitions filed by the residents’ association and held that all financial liabilities—including fixed rent, demolition costs, and reconstruction expenses, even if they exceed estimates—would be borne entirely by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO).
Following the order, District Collector G Priyanka directed that residents of Towers B and C vacate as soon as the rent was credited. AWHO has deposited Rs 2.97 crore towards six months’ rent to the district collector’s escrow account.
The amount will be transferred to individual residents at Rs 30,000 per month for 74 flat owners of Tower B and Rs 35,000 per month for 78 flat owners of Tower C. Once evacuation is complete, the towers will be handed over to the Kanayannur tahsildar for further procedures.
“Almost 90% of the residents have already vacated. People are still shifting their belongings,” said Sajeev Thomas, joint secretary of the Chander Kunj Army Tower Welfare Maintenance Society.