This house in Idukki is an accident blackspot, occupants fear for their lives

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Idukki: Every night, Sasidharan, a resident at Kakkakada in Bysonvalley panchayat goes to bed with a prayer. He prays that no vehicle may crash into his house again. In the past eight years, it has happened four times. Vehicles speed along a curve and run straight into his house perched close to the road.
The accident three days ago was fatal, claiming two lives of the passengers. The house and premises are a mess. Broken bricks and mangled wheelplates are scattered all over. A part of the house looks like a sizeable chunk has been carved away and smashed to pieces. As rain gains strength, it could not have happened at a worse time for this family.
Sasidharan and his wife Ramani started living here in 2001. The first accident took place in 2016 when a van crashed into the wall, damaging it. In 2021, a pickup lorry rammed into the front portion of the house. The passengers of the vehicle were seriously injured.
Earlier this month, another vehicle ran straight in, smashing a part of the house including the water tank. On May 26 at 8 am, another accident occurred, this time it was a van which crashed into the house. Two people in the vehicle died.
Sasidharan had a close shave as he was standing in the yard along with his friend when the accident happened.

All the walls of the house are broken now. With the onset of monsoon, 69-year-old Sasidharan and 60-year-old Ramani are now staying at home, enduring the cold and rain. They have two children. His daughter was married off. His son is employed as an operator of earth mover.
''We have 15 cents of land in another place away from here, but there is no money to build a house there. Even though panchayat officials came, they said that they would not be able to give compensation. The police came twice and took evidence and left,'' said Sasidharan
The house is situated on a steep slope. Local residents said that the accidents occur due to the unscientific construction of the road. Following the complaints from people, authorities would come and assess the situation but there has been no remedy so far.
''Whenever an accident happens, we try to repair the house. This month, the damage has been severe,'' said Sasidharan.