KOCHI: Despite the continuous assurance by the authorities concerned regarding the safety of residences near the Alfa Serene apartment complex, the residents remain a worried lot. According to them, the officials are merely providing lip service and only want to complete the demolition at any cost.
“Compared to the geotextile used by Edifice Engineering, the one used in Alfa Serene is of poorer quality. It lacks enough thickness and looks exactly like the material used as cement packets. They had promised me that my entire house will be covered with the same geotextile sheets,” said Harishchandrasai K R, a resident living near Alfa Serene.
However, Vijay Steels and Explosives have started erecting the geotextile as a curtain along the compound wall to restrict the flying of concrete debris. “It is a futile exercise. I know it is not going to help much but I hope my house remains unaffected,” he said.
HC seeks govt’s view on nearby residents’ plea
Kochi: The High Court sought the state government’s view on a petition filed by people living near the Maradu highrises, seeking a directive to assess the present market value of the houses and other structure within a 200m radius before the date of the demolition. Justice Anu Sivaraman issued the order on the petition filed by Harishchandrasai K R and other nearby residents. During the hearing, government pleader Advocate T S Shyam Prasanth submitted that a similar petition was pending before the court. Considering this, the court posted the case along with that matter to Thursday.
The petitioners said they had already approached the authorities to assess the value and declare the compensation to be provided to them. However, no action was taken to address their grievances. They said the authorities had no clear plan on the compensation to be given to them in case their property got damaged due to the implosion. They were not responsible for the construction of illegal flats and it was unfair to penalise them for the negligence of the builders, said the petitioners. They had invested their hard-earned investment for constructing their houses and were concerned about their homes, they said.