Editor's note: Backstory is Onmanorama's special year-ender video series. Here, our reporters recall their memorable experiences in 2019. Watch all videos here.
In September this year, the Supreme Court ordered to demolish five illegally constructed apartment complexes in Maradu municipality in Ernakulam district.
The court found that all these apartments violated the Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
It was a landmark judgement. Media immediately pounced on it. Stories of the hapless residents and protests against judgement occupied most of the media space.
A week after the judgement was delivered, I decided to visit Maradu. But my aim was quite different.
After reaching Maradu, I decided to visit all the five apartment complexes and see their proximity to the lake.
I first visited HolyFaith H2O apartment. It is an 18-storey structure facing Kundannoor River.
The apartment was the hub of protest against the judgement. Because it lies close to Maradu municipality office.
Medispersons too made it their reporting hub. They got enough bites from celebrity film personalities living here.
My next stop was at the 18-storey Alpha Serene on the opposite side of the river. Private security personnel, who guarded the complex, stopped me from entering the flat and asked not to click photos. But I hired a country boat, clicked some nice shots from the canal side.
Following this, I visited 16-floor Golden Kayaloram on the banks of Champakkara Canal and 16-storey Jain Coral Cove near the Nittoor canal.
Everything was going according to my plan until now. I thought I would finish the assignment in one hour by visiting Holiday Heritage, the fifth flat.
But I faced some real issues there. No one knew where the flat was. I called the municipal councillor, who represents the place. She gave me the direction and told me that only 20 flats were constructed there. I hired an autorickshaw and reached the place. I saw a flat being built. But it was not Holiday Heritage. I called the councillor once again. She said she did not know much about the flat.
Then I sought help of local journalists in Maradu, who know in and out of the municipality. Unfortunately, they told me that they had not visited the place. But they gave me a clue. It was a few minutes drive from market.
The auto-rickshaw driver and I followed their instructions, but couldn't locate the flat despite going round and round for about 30 minutes. At this juncture, the auto-rickshaw driver asked me. "what's the name of the flat?" I said it is Holiday Heritage.
"Oh, is it?” he exclaimed, and told me that his friend worked for that company a few years ago. He told me that it is a barren land and no building was constructed there.
We reached there in 5 minutes. I could see barren land with a gate covered by creepers.
Later, I checked with the then Maradu Municpal Secretary Mohammed Arif Khan about Holiday Heritage. I showed him the photos. He confirmed the location and said no construction had happened there.
"So you have only four flat complexes to demolish. Not five, as reported," I asked. "Yes, you are right."
The next day, Onmanorama had an exclusive story. "Of 5 Maradu apartments to be demolished, where is the 5th one?”
And I owe a big thanks to the auto-rickshaw driver who took me to that barren land!
(This story was first published on December 31, 2019.)
