A dream shattered: rehabilitation fails to solve problems of P&T Apartment Complex residents in Kochi

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A view of the P&T Apartment Complex at Mundamveli in west Kochi, which was built to rehabilitate families from the now-demolished flood-prone P&T Colony in the Gandhi Nagar Division of the Kochi Corporation. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

For nine-year-old Clint* (name changed), the best part of the day is quietly observing life unfolding outside with his face pressed against the rusting window grill of his fourth-storey apartment.

He loves to watch vehicles speeding along the nearby road and children playing downstairs—simple joys denied to him by cerebral palsy, which has severely impaired his mobility. In more than two-and-a-half years since his family moved into their two-bedroom apartment at the P&T Apartment Complex in Mundamveli in west Kochi in Keralam’s Ernakulam, he has stepped outside only a handful of times.

Even his daily physiotherapy sessions remain disrupted, a setback doctors warn will seriously hamper his future life. “The building has no elevator, and we cannot afford to carry him up and down physically,” says his 55-year-old mother.

The family now faces a fresh concern that has robbed them of their sleep. A 25,000-litre concrete water tank directly above their apartment on the open terrace has developed cracks, and they live in constant fear that it may collapse on them while they sleep.

Since the threat emerged, Anna*, 17, an accomplished footballer and Clint’s sister, has postponed joining a college in Irinjalakkuda on a sports quota. “I badly want to go to college, but I don’t want to be away from my family either. I don’t want to be the only one spared if something terrible happens,” she says, her words heavy with both longing and dread.

The other 77 families in the apartment complex have similar woeful stories to tell.

The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) constructed the complex, consisting of two four-storey towers, at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore to rehabilitate families from the now-demolished flood-prone P&T Colony in the Gandhi Nagar Division of the Kochi Corporation.

The colony started taking shape with a few families initially encroaching on the narrow strip of land between the former Posts and Telegraphs (P&T) Godown and Perandoor Canal more than half-a-century back.

Families were shifted to the apartment complex on January 31, 2024, carrying with them the hope of a safer and more dignified life. Their nightmarish life began with the first downpour, exactly a fortnight after they moved in, when several apartments started leaking. Since then, the seepage has progressively worsened, spreading to every flat in the towers. Eventually, even toilets began leaking, sending filth trickling into the kitchens of the apartments below, compounding the misery of the already struggling residents.

“It is ironic that for people suffering from leakage during rain, we now face a severe shortage of drinking water. We receive only a meagre supply of 5,000 litres for more than 400 people across 78 families, and that too irregularly. The six overhead concrete tanks too pose a danger to the residents,” says Abhilash P. Parameswaran, president of the P&T Apartment Owners Association.

Sitting inside a shamiana in front of the apartment complex, braving the sweltering heat as part of an indefinite protest now stretching beyond 50 days, Leela Venugopal, 61, recalls how life was far better in the old colony. “Yes, our homes flooded during rain, and water from the nearby canal seeped in, forcing us into thorough cleaning afterwards. But that was the only problem there,” she says, her voice tinged with anger.

Residents of P&T Apartment Complex staging an indefinite protest demanding fresh rehabilitation. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

R. Lalitha, 63, who had lived in the colony for nearly 50 years, chips in to say that the government cheated them by relocating them with the promise of a far better life.

“We have been deprived of our livelihood and stripped of access to essential services like transportation and health care. Our old houses were razed immediately after we vacated because authorities knew we would return if they were left untouched,” she rages.

However, Poornima Narayanan, former Corporation councillor of the division, offers a different perspective.

Under her stewardship, prolonged protests led by women compelled the GCDA to include the rehabilitation apartment project in its 2018 Budget. “While their present plight is unacceptable, claiming their earlier life in the colony was better is far-fetched. It was not only the monsoon that troubled them but frequent tidal flooding too, when faecal waste discharged into the canal swept back into their homes,” she says.

Meanwhile, the residents claim that at least five people in their 40s have died of cardiac‑related issues since moving into the apartments.

They also staged a protest in front of the GCDA headquarters in Kadavanthra on May 26, alleging violation of mandatory distance norms from a 110 kV extra high tension (EHT) line that passes through their neighbourhood. The residents attributed the persistent electrical problems they have faced since moving in to this violation, while also voicing concerns about radiation exposure.

On September 1, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission sought a report from the GCDA on the leakage in apartment complex that resulted in the children’s books, uniforms and accessories getting soaked.

The plight of the students came to light after K.P. Priya, headteacher of the SDPY Boys’ High School, Palluruthy, visited the apartment complex in August following the prolonged absence of a Class VIII student. The boy had missed classes for nearly a fortnight at the start of the academic year in June. Though he briefly returned, he went absent again.

“We were shocked to find the unhygienic condition in which he was living,” says Priya.

Since then, the association has identified four more students who have been missing classes for similar reasons. Parents lament that the pitiable living conditions have eroded their children’s sense of dignity and self-worth, leaving them with psychological scars that go beyond physical discomfort.

In April 2025, IIT Madras had recommended rectification measures, which reportedly exceeded the original construction cost.

“We negotiated the rectification works down to ₹6.5 crore. The proposal has since been forwarded to the State government for approval,” GCDA sources said.

Leakage stains on the walls of a flat at the P&T Apartment complex in Mundamveli in west Kochi. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

The IIT report warned that continuous exposure to moisture could lead to progressive corrosion and eventual loss of serviceability of the apartments.

K. Chandran Pillai, under whose tenure as GCDA chairperson the project was commissioned, attributed the problems of the apartment complex to design flaws incompatible with the region’s climate and high temperatures. “The steel-based structure was approved by the Local Self-Government department. A competent authority must provide long-term solutions, identify sources of funding, and fix accountability,” he remarks.

In 2025, the GCDA terminated the services of the contractor, Thrissur District Labour Contract Co-operative Society (TDLC), fixing a liability of around ₹4 crore under the Defects Liability Period, which extends to five years after construction. The TDLC has since contested the decision in the Kerala High Court. “The design flaws involved were beyond what we could rectify. Moreover, the construction cost overshot the original estimate due to the steel price hike triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war. The GCDA also withheld around ₹80 lakh owed to us,” claim TDLC sources.

The affected families turned their plight into an electoral issue during the local body polls in December 2025, boycotting all mainstream parties and fielding Abhilash as their candidate. That decision led to a stand-off with the eventual winner, Left Democratic Front’s K. J. Prakashan, who placed responsibility for addressing the families’ concerns on the contractor and the GCDA.

Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas, who also raised the issue during the State Assembly elections in April, has since demanded a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau into alleged corruption behind the construction. The Kochi Corporation too has recommended a vigilance inquiry into the matter.

“We are waiting for an appointment with the Chief Minister to convene a meeting on the matter. The affected families will be given three options: they can move into towers built for the rehabilitation of Thuruthy Colony, opt for compensation, or choose fresh rehabilitation,” suggests the MLA.

In fact, a proposal submitted by the district administration to the LSGD Principal Secretary has also outlined these options, while recommending that the twin towers be repurposed for alternative usage, including as government offices.

However, Mundamveli residents have summarily rejected the option of moving into Thuruthy Towers. Instead, their ongoing indefinite protest has placed three non-negotiable demands on the table: fresh rehabilitation in new structures with title deeds, compensation for the physical and mental trauma endured over the past couple of years, and prosecution of those responsible for the alleged corruption behind the faulty construction.

In the meantime, Kannamma Dileep, 55, continues to make rounds of offices after being excluded from the original beneficiary list for apartments, despite having lived in the old colony for more than 40 years and possessing all documents to prove her credentials. “We moved out of our house in the former P&T Colony temporarily when our daughter died 11 years ago. So, we did not make the list of beneficiaries. Now we are living in a rented house at Mulanthuruthy. I may not be able to afford rent from my earnings as a domestic help for long, as my husband is sick and unable to work,” she rues.

The apartment complex today stands as a relic of alleged corruption and indifference that has seeped into projects. Authorities continue to argue that families are in a better position compared to where they came from, an assertion dismissed outright by the residents. Instead, they persist with stiff resistance, framing their struggle as a fight for the rights and future of their children.

They had named the complex P&T, for peace and trust. Today, they have lost both.

(*The names have been changed to protect their privacy.)

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