KOCHI: Although the preparatory works in the sensitive areas have been put on hold by the contractor, residents staying in the vicinity of Alfa Serene are gripped with fear over the development of cracks in their homes. They have finally decided to meet the chief minister to explain their plight.
“The officials are not understanding our plight. They are casually taking our complaints and repeating the inability to intervene as the order has been given by the Supreme Court. They just want to complete the demolition on time and submit the report to the court. Though we don’t have the rights to act against the court order, the residents are only expecting a humane approach from the process. The ‘Janakeeya Committee’ will soon approach the chief minister and LSGD minister,” said Shaji KR, who resides near Alfa Serene.
“Unlike us, none of the residents who live near the respective apartments has raised any issues. It speaks a lot about the approach of the contractor who is assigned with the work. We doubt that they are not fully-equipped for the work,” said S Krishnakumar, another resident.
Local residents also approached the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Thursday. “We visited the SHRC officials only to end up being dejected. They kept referring to the apex court order. If things continue like this, we will end up like the Moolampilly residents,” said Shaji.
Meanwhile, a few residents have already started looking at alternative options to move away during the demolition. “We have started searching for a house to stay during the demolition. As the preparatory works are causing so much trouble, we are trying to shift as soon as possible,” said Harshamma Ramakrishnan, another resident.
No clarity on Insurance
Residents allege that there is no clarity on the proposed insurance coverage for the nearby homes. “None of the officials has any clarity on the matter. Many of the houses were built by spending more than H40 lakh. Though we hope that the demolition will be completed without any untoward incident, the officials should understand the seriousness of insuring our homes,” said Hari P, another resident. Although the insurance agency is yet to be finalised, the officials have started collecting the details of residents.