Civic authorities on Wednesday evicted the unauthorised occupants of Manapattyparambu near Kaloor.
The corporation drive came in the wake of reports from the Health officials of the Kochi Corporation that the unauthorised occupation of the area by wayside traders from North India was posing serious sanitation problems, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the corporation.
There were around 150 persons in the area who earned a living by selling homemade drums.
Most of the occupants were living with their families in makeshift tents set up in the area.
The absence of proper sanitation facilities worsened the situation, he said.
The occupants were allowed to collect their belongings before the tents were removed. The corporation didn't have any facility for rehabilitating the persons who have come here for trade. The corporation was finding it difficult even to rehabilitate the slum dwellers of West Kochi area, he said.
At the most, the corporation can meet the travel expense of these persons to return to their homes and the practice of occupying public places cannot be encourged, he said. The eviction was carried out in the presence of Mayor Tony Chammany and officials of the Health department. The evictees later took out a protest march to the Kochi Corporation office. As the police prevented them from entering the office, they gathered before the gate of the corporation.
Only a few officials were left in the office, who moved out through the wicket gate, said Mable, an official of the corporation.
The main gate of the corporation was locked around 4.30 p.m. following the protests, she said.
S. Murugan of the Theruvora Pravarthaka Association, an organisation for the rehabilitation of street dwellers, urged the civic authorities to adopt a humanitarian approach to the evictees.
The association leaders will meet the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Mayor with these demands, he said.
Police support
The police team led by Sunil Jacob, Assistant Commissioner, Ernakulam, reached the spot in the morning to assist the corporation officials in evicting the families. Nearly 60 officials, including two Circle Inspectors and three sub-inspectors were present at the spot till 12.30 p.m. Senior police officials said the issue was not resolved by evicting these families from the area, as they would be moving into next available vacant space in the city. Enquiries made about possible rehabilitation places for them brought in negative responses. Facilities owned by the civic body like the Palluruthy Relief Settlement are already handling many more inmates that their capacity.
