KOCHI: Residents of Ponekkara, Elamakkara and Edappally allege that short-time accommodation facilities arranged for patients and bystanders arriving from far away place seeking treatment at speciality hospitals are being misused by drug peddlers and miscreants. Though the police have intensified patrolling in these areas, they are unable to keep track of the guests at such facilities.
Crimes involving youngsters are also increasing in the area and the local people and residents’ associations come to know about it only after the crimes are reported. Since the inmates of the short-stay homes come and go as they please, the local residents don’t communicate with them, says Edappally councillor Deepa Varma. She added that a young female vlogger, who had been staying at one such facility, recently died by suicide in the area.
“Some owners do not hand over the details regarding the tenants to the residents’ association. While investigating the suicide, the police recovered drugs from the area. Middlemen connect these tenants and the owners, but they don’t have any information on the guests either. “There are Maldives nationals staying in my neighbourhood. A few people come in the morning, more arrive in the afternoon. In the evenings we see more new faces,” she added.
Waste crisis
Ponekkara ward councillor Pious Joseph said in many cases, residents’ association raised their concerns over not having proper details of the tenants in their area, even if they are staying for a short period. He also raised the issue of waste management. “The tenants arriving for a short stay are not ready to pay for waste collection and say they will manage it. When they leave for work or hospital, they take the waste with them and throw them on the roadside or on the rail tracks. When they are caught, the owners are alerted and action is taken. However, the owners, who stay abroad, and are only bothered about the rent,”
he said.