Nettur, Kochi: People residing near the high-rises set to be demolished soon at Maradu in Kerala's Ernakulam district are a worried lot owing to noise pollution and damage to their own properties as personnel of private firms are busy carrying out preliminary works such as removal of non-structural elements from the former.
With just three weeks left for the scheduled court-ordered demolition of the four apartment complexes, more cracks were spotted on the buildings in the vicinity. Cracks were found on 16 of the 32 buildings which fall within the vulnerable zone.
The buildings - H2O Holy Faith, Alfa Serene, Golden Kayaloram and Jains Coral Cove – would be demolished on January 11 and 12.
Vijaya Steels and Explosives of Chennai and Edifice Engineering from Mumbai were awarded the contract to raze them.
A house, near to the Alfa Serene building, was among the three buildings on which the fissures were recently spotted. Cracks were found in three rooms, including the hall on the first floor, of the house that belongs to Nedumpillil Sugunanandan. Cracks were also found along the door step and corridor. This house is just 40 metres away from the Alfa Serene, one of the four buildings set to be demolished as per a Supreme Court order.
"I fear the roof would collapse if I switched on the fan. I intend to move to a rented house," Sugunanandan said.
The houses next to Sugunanandan had also developed cracks in the past few days. The cement flooring has come off at the house of Nedumpillil Mani.
Long breaches have also developed on the wall of a bathroom abutting the mosque managed by the Khadeejathul Kubra Islamic Complex. A wall of the dry fruit godown in the complex has also been badly affected.
K S M Shihabuddin Sakhafi, the general secretary of the mosque trust feared for the safety of resident students pursuing religious studies there.
The Supreme Court had ordered for the demolition of the four apartment complexes after it was found that they were built in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. Though the flat residents filed petitions against the SC verdict, the apex court refused to entertain these.
Nearby residents moving out
Fearing for their safety, some residents of houses in the vicinity of the demolition zone are moving out.
The family of Kaniyambill Ajith, residing near the Alfa Serene, moved out on Sunday. A concrete piece had fallen on their courtyard recently. Besides they have to put up with the shrill noise of drilling.
My family members are suffering from illnesses due to dust, Ajith said.
The family of K Lakshminarayana Sai, residing near the same building, had earlier moved out. K Harishchandra Sai and Nedumpillil Sungunanandan are also planning to move to rented houses.
