Kochi Chander Kunj Army Towers demolition: Expert panel visits site, residents raise concerns

Kochi: An expert panel led by Ernakulam District Collector NSK Umesh on Saturday visited the Chander Kunj Army Towers at Silversand Island, Vyttila, in Kochi as part of the steps to demolish the twin towers on the campus based on a Kerala High Court order.

The panel comprising structural engineers and a town planner visited the site and interacted with the flat owners. The High Court ordered on February 3 to demolish and reconstruct the residential towers B and C, which are in severe distress due to poor construction.

After the site visit, Collector Umesh told the media that steps to evacuate the residents from the B and C towers and to demolish the structures would be taken simultaneously.

He said the twin towers would be demolished without affecting the stability of Tower A in the complex. Residents of the A tower will have to be evacuated during the demolition, the collector said.

“We did the site inspection because we have to understand the geography of the place and all possible challenges relating to the demolition,” the collector said. A representative of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), which built the residential towers, was also present during the site inspection.

He said the committee will meet again next week and more clarity will emerge on the mode of evacuation and demolition by then. The managing director of the AWHO will attend the meet, the collector said. He said it has been decided that the committee will meet every week and evaluate the progress of the situation.

A section of flat owners who were present during the site inspection reiterated their concerns over the lack of clarity in the high court order before the committee and later media.

“Basically, the district administration is concentrating on the demolition. They are thinking of how it can be executed. As owners we are yet to get clarity on several aspects. There is no decision on the money we spent on interior furnishing after buying the flats. While 208 families have to be evacuated, only 40 will be eligible for rental compensation.

“Also, there is no clarity on the timeline of the demolition and reconstruction. We also need to know who is answerable to our concerns, the builder or the expert committee,” Saji Thomas, a flat owner and one of the petitioners who moved the High Court alleging corruption behind the construction of the buildings told media.