P&T Colony flats at Mundamveli in Kochi
When they were ‘rehabilitated’ in an apartment complex, built by Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) under LIFE Mission scheme, at Mundamveli on Jan 31, 2024, they thought it would be their final settlement. The apartment complex was constructed on 70 cents owned by GCDA at Mundamveli . GCDA couldn’t even hand over the land ownership to us due to technical issues associated with the 110KV line passing above the complex,” said Parameswaran.
But soon, they understood that they wouldn’t be able to stay in the housing units constructed by the “merciful authorities”. Wastewater from toilets on upper floors would leak into the houses on the lower floors,” said Abhilash Parameswaran, a resident and president of the action council for P&T apartment residents. “Though we brought the issue to the notice of GCDA authorities and state govt, there is no solution so far,” he said. When contacted, Mohanan said he started the project with good intentions. Before starting work on the project, my tenure as GCDA chairman ended,” Mohanan said.
Kochi : For the past five decades, shuttling between rehabilitation camps and their tiny houses was a seasonal occurrence for the residents of P&T Colony near Gandhi Nagar. They would move to rehabilitation camps, set up at nearby schools or so, whenever rain intensified. The construction flaws of the apartment complex have put the residents’ lives at risk. “Soon after the rehabilitation, we understood that the structure was unfit to live in. There were cracks on the walls. “GCDA constructed the apartment complex on a plot through which a 110KV electric line passed, posing a threat of electric shock. As per Central Electricity Act, no house can be constructed directly under a 110KV line. “When GCDA designed the project, CPM’s C N Mohanan was the development agency’s chairman. When the project was implemented, CPM’s K Chandran Pillai was the chairman. All anomalies were committed with Mohanan’s and Pillai’s knowledge,” he alleged. Though TOI tried to contact Pillai on the phone, he was unavailable for comment. “Adopting a humanitarian approach, GCDA decided to construct an apartment complex to rehabilitate the residents of P&T Colony, where they were living in a pathetic condition. Whenever it rained, the area would be flooded as they were living in small houses on the banks of Thevara-Perandoor canal. Many of them didn’t have toilets. That’s why we designed such a project. “It is a fact there was callous irresponsibility and flaws on the part of those at GCDA in ensuring that the project was constructed in an error-free manner. The poor residents shouldn’t have been left in such a pathetic situation,” he added.
But the residents demanded that we give a 50 years’ guarantee for the building after repair works,” said a GCDA official. Meanwhile, RAY towers one and two were inaugurated on Sept 27, 2025. Of the 398 beneficiaries the corporation identified a few years ago, the local body hasn’t been able to collect the necessary certificates of around 100 families yet. “We are taking steps to get the police clearance certificate for 297 families, whose details we could collect. As 33 families in the beneficiaries list informed us that they didn’t need houses in the complex, we will have to identify around 100 more families to fill the remaining vacancies,” said mayor V K Minimol.
A state govt committee had approved the project design, according to GCDA officials. “We are completing some minor works at RAY towers and planning to hand over the housing units to 297 families by Nov 1,” she added. “We were ready to repair the building. Even after a year, Kochi corporation has been unable to allot houses to residents.