Vellathooval police station facing risk of collapse

Adimaly: The Vellathooval police station in Idukki is in a precarious condition after heavy rains on Friday, when a section of the land on which the building stands collapsed, along with a portion of the compound wall, onto a nearby road. A 30-foot cutting on the road, which leads from Vellathooval town to Munnar, has been affected in the incident.

The road connecting Kallarkutty and Vellathooval also passes along another side of the police station building. Landslides have regularly occurred at this spot during every monsoon since 2018. Local residents said that authorities had ignored several petitions to shift the police station to another location.

Five police officers were on duty at the station during Friday’s incident, when a portion of the protective wall collapsed onto the road, forcing them to run out of the building. Residents said that the entire police station is likely to collapse if heavy rains persist. The situation has caused panic among the officers working at the station, according to sources.

The Vellathooval police station was constructed in 2004 on a large plot measuring 2.25 acres. However, even during construction, there were allegations that the work was carried out shortsightedly, as the building was erected above a steep cutting very close to the road. The lack of space in the building was also criticised, according to local residents.

Currently, the police station lacks even basic seating for visitors, as the building comprises only two rooms and a verandah. A total of 38 officers, including the station house officer (SHO) and six women officers, are forced to work in this limited space. There are no separate basic facilities for women officers.

The boundary limits of the Vellathooval police station are extensive. There are five village offices under its jurisdiction, including the panchayats of Vellathooval, Pallivasal and Konnathady.