Kochi P&T housing crisis deepens as residents flag 110KV power line near leak-hit apartment towers; protest at GCDA office

Kochi: Barely two years after being rehabilitated from the dilapidated, waterlogged P&T Colony in Gandhinagar, families living in the newly constructed Mundamveli P&T Apartment Towers in Kochi have taken their grievances to the streets. On Tuesday, the P&T Apartment Owners Association staged a protest in front of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) office at Kadavanthra in Ernakulam, demanding emergency administrative intervention over unresolved structural issues.

While relentless monsoon roof leaks and structural defects originally triggered the agitation, the protest has taken a more urgent turn after residents recently raised major safety apprehensions regarding a 110KV high-tension power line passing along the eastern side of the building.

Pointing to an official measurement report from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), residents allege that the line violates statutory safety clearances and poses an electrical hazard to the fully steel-structured building. However, GCDA authorities maintain that all proper regulatory approvals were legally secured during the project's inception.

The residents’ newly raised concerns stem from an official response they obtained from the KSEB, following a site inspection conducted on May 15, 2026, by the Assistant Engineer of the Cherthala Line Maintenance Section. The inspection mapped the alignment of the 110 KV Aroor - Mattancherry Feeder line, where it passes near the twin three-story towers.

According to the KSEB letter, “Measurements taken at the site revealed that while the maximum horizontal clearance from the 110 KV line is 7.37 metre, the minimum horizontal clearance drops to 2.53 metres. Specifically, on the northern side of the eastern building, the horizontal clearance to the building's sunshade is only 2.5 metres, whereas a minimum clearance of 2.9 metres is required.”

“We only recently discovered the exact measurements of this clearance gap,” said Abhilash Parameswaran, President of the P&T Apartment Owners Association. “Given that this is a fully steel-structured building, we are deeply concerned about what could happen during heavy monsoon showers if safety margins are compromised. We feel our safety has been overlooked, and we need the District Collector to look into this under disaster management protocols,” he added.

Speaking to Onmanorama, GCDA Secretary MV Shari clarified that the authority has no administrative jurisdiction over the alignment or clearance approvals of high-tension power lines, which fall strictly under the purview of specialised electrical bodies.

“Even before the residents were accommodated there, if such a high-tension line exists, the absolute approving authority for it is the Electrical Inspector. As per rules, it is with the approval of the Electrical Inspector that the KSEB sanctions all of it. The GCDA has no role in determining those technical clearances,” she said.

Addressing the specific clearance gap highlighted by the residents, the GCDA sources noted that the line does not come into contact with the actual residential spaces. “The line does not touch the building. It passes in a staggered manner. The specific point of contention raised by the residents involves the edge of the sunshade, which extends outward and is not a space meant for human habitation. Once the competent authority – the Electrical Inspector – issues the necessary certificate and NOC, we proceed under the assurance that all hazard risks have been technically assessed,” a senior official said.

Resident anxiety fuelled by internal anomalies
The anxiety surrounding the 110KV line has been intensified by minor electrical anomalies that residents claim to have experienced inside their homes.

“The main electricity line passes right along my side of the building,” said Omana, a resident living on an upper floor. “When we touch the window frames or stand barefoot on the floor, we sometimes feel mild electric shocks or grounding. It makes us very uneasy, especially when it rains heavily and water drips into the kitchen,” she added.

According to Abhilash Parameswaran, the association has previously noticed safety switches – MCBs and ELCBs – tripping frequently. “We also had an instance where underground yard-lighting cables burnt out, and a visiting inspector mentioned it could potentially be related to electromagnetic induction from the overhead lines. At the time, we didn't think much of it, but finding out about the sunshade clearance deficit has made the families very anxious about living in a steel-framed structure,” he added.

While the power line issue remains a point of debate, the primary driver behind the street protest remains the building's severe and persistent water leakage issues, which have plagued the Pre-Engineered Building (PEB) structure since its completion.

“Within weeks of moving in back in January 2024, water began leaking through roofs and walls during the first rains. It has steadily worsened to the point where water seeps down into the lower floors whenever upper-floor bathrooms are used,” said resident Saritha Madhavan.

Residents at the protest site highlighted that the constant pooling of water on the corridors creates a severe slipping hazard, particularly for the elderly and young children, leading to multiple minor injuries during past monsoon seasons.

The GCDA has claimed that they have actively sought to implement solutions, but efforts have hit a standstill due to a trust deficit regarding warranties. “Even before construction concluded, there were leakage challenges inherent to this modern design, which utilises concrete panels, ironwork columns, and I-sections instead of traditional construction,” sources said.

The secretary noted that a recent pilot project to waterproof a single trial toilet was entirely successful. “Based on that success, we have a plan designed by IIT Madras to treat a bulk block of six toilets and adjacent walls, a project that will cost over ₹1 crore. We are actively moving to secure these funds from the Government. However, the association leadership has repeatedly blocked the work from proceeding, demanding an unprecedented 25-year structural warranty in writing. We can only offer the standard rectification parameters permitted by the government,” a GCDA official added.

Meanwhile, the protest in front of the GCDA office was eventually called off after Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas visited the residents and assured them that he would petition Chief Minister VD Satheesan seeking a vigilance probe into the alleged corruption behind the apartment project. Shiyas said the buildings must first undergo a detailed assessment to determine whether they are fit for habitation, following which time-bound measures should be taken to plug the leakages and provide essential facilities such as a septic tank and sewage treatment plant. “If the structures are found to be unfit for living, appropriate steps will be taken to ensure the residents are properly rehabilitated,” he said.