Much to the relief of the residents in the Girinagar Housing colony, the Kerala High Court has directed the Kochi Corporation to take a call on the plea by the Girinagar Welfare Association to remove the iron scrap and other waste lying on the western and eastern sides of the Perandoor canal for long.
According to the association, the rusted iron material has been lying there since 2018. The contractor, who was awarded the work of constructing a bridge across the Perandoor canal, had stopped the construction midway following a High Court intervention. The contractor had started his work by erecting iron pillars and pipes across the canal when the High Court ordered to stop the work in 2015. It was passed on a writ petition filed by some of the residents in the area against the construction of the bridge. The contractor since then has given up the work.
However, in 2018, the areas near the canal were completely flooded in heavy rain due to a block in the canal caused by the iron pillars and pipes. Following the intervention of the District Collector, the iron pillars and pipes were removed and dumped on both sides of the canal. These corrugated iron materials were causing inconvenience to pedestrians as well as residents, said Advocate Iype Joseph, general convener of the association.
He added that the association had approached the then councillor of the area demanding the removal of the rusted iron materials but to no avail. Though it had given representations to the Corporation in 2018 and even in February 2022, no action had been taken. Mr. Joseph pointed out that no development activities could be undertaken in the areas due to the lying of these materials on the sides of the canal. The Corporation was duty-bound to remove them. But it had refused to consider the demand of the residents and hence the writ petition by the association.
When the petition came for hearing, the Corporation counsel submitted that the waste materials were lying on the sides of the canal because there appeared to be a dispute between the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the contractor concerned. The counsel also submitted that the Corporation secretary would take up the matter with the GCDA.
The court directed the Kochi Corporation to consider and take a decision on the representations submitted by the association in six weeks.
