Ranjith and his family live in a state of constant dread in one of the flats on the seventh floor of the apartment complex in Kalluthankadavu. That a kid in his neighbouring flat narrowly escaped when the plaster of the roof fell on him just a few weeks ago, adds to their dread.
The TMT bars used for construction peek out of the plastering in his flat, like most others on the floor. The walls have developed cracks and water oozes out of the plug sockets during rain. The hand rails on the corridors are nearly uprooted while the open ends of the corridors get water logged during rains. To top it all, there is barely enough space in the 1 BHK flat for his seven member family.
“We have been taken for a ride. The Kalluthankadavu rehabilitation project is a big scam and we are the victims,” says Mr. Ranjith before hurrying off to work.
The apartment complex at Kalluthankadavu was constructed under the aegis of the Kozhikode Corporation to rehabilitate slum dwellers in Kalluthankadavu and other locations in the city as part of a mega project that also involved conversion of the slum land into a modern vegetable market. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in 2019 and was dubbed as a huge achievement for the Corporation in eradicating slums altogether from the city.
The complex, consisting of 141 flats, seemed to be a blessing for the residents of the Kalluthankadavu colony who were living in dilapidated shacks on the banks of the Conolly canal for long. When the project that was conceived in 2005 finally materialised in 2019, they expected it to be an end to their woes; only until reality hit hard.
“These are families of daily wage labourers who are struggling to make both ends meet. Suddenly they need to pay monthly maintenance for the building, need to pitch in for the ₹75,000 per annum for the lift to keep running and more for the repairs of the sewage treatment plant. This is no longer the home of their dreams as it put more financial burden on them now than before,” says Rajan Karamoola, who sees to the various needs of the building.
Meanwhile the families are feeling cheated by the Corporation. “We were promised a 2 BHK flat, but were provided only 1 BHK. The Corporation knew how big each family was, but did not consider how we could live in such a cramped space. Now many of us sleep on the corridors,” says Jayakumar, another resident.
Setting aside such inconveniences, the residents have complained to the Corporation regarding the safety issues at the building. “If the construction was not faulty, the building would not have so many cracks within four years. We are concerned about the strength of the building,” says Revathi, one of the residents.
So far the Corporation officials had visited the building several times while a team of experts from the National Institute of Technology has been roped in to assess the damages, if any, and find solutions.
“The Mayor has convened a meeting on Monday in which all parties concerned will be represented. We understand there has been a lapse in monitoring the construction,” says P.K. Nassar, Corporation Councillor from Palayam ward.
