Kerala chief minister says leaky Kochi apartment complex will be demolished
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said the P&T Apartment Complex in Kochi will have to be demolished, offering support to 78 families protesting alleged construction failures. Residents are seeking new homes with title deeds, compensation and action against those they hold responsible for the project’s condition.
Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said the P&T Apartment Complex in Kochi will have to be demolished, backing the central demand of 78 families who have been protesting the condition of the buildings. Satheesan made the statement while speaking at a private function in Kochi on September 26, according to The Hindu.
He said residents would need to be relocated to rented accommodation temporarily and that a meeting on the issue would be held shortly. The families have been holding an indefinite agitation outside the complex for 67 days. They are seeking rehabilitation in new structures with title deeds, compensation for physical and mental suffering, and prosecution of those responsible for what they describe as corruption linked to faulty construction.
The apartment owners’ association welcomed the Chief Minister’s remarks but said the protest would continue until the government fulfilled its commitment. Association president Abhilash P. Parameswaran said the statement validated the residents’ complaints and expressed hope that Satheesan would meet the affected families.
The residents moved into the complex in January 2024 after being shifted from the waterlogging-prone P&T Colony in the Gandhi Nagar division of Kochi Corporation. According to the report, the apartments began leaking within a fortnight of the first showers, with conditions worsening over time. The Greater Cochin Development Authority built the complex at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore.
The project received joint funding under PMAY, the LIFE Mission and Cochin Smart Mission Limited. The Hindu reported that an estimate for rectification prepared by IIT Madras exceeded the original construction cost. Satheesan cited the cost of repairs when saying demolition would be necessary.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission ordered a probe on September 1 and directed the GCDA to report within a month on leaks of rainwater and toilet water and their effect on residents, including children’s school attendance.
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