Kozhikode: Burrows at the base of the main pillars, cracks on walls, leaky ceilings, loose plasters... these are the living conditions of 106 families dwelling at the Kalluthan Kadavu apartment building that was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in 2019.

Each family that has been cramped up into 330 square feet of one BHK is below the poverty line, and the majority belong to the scheduled castes. They say life was better in the slums from where the authorities had uprooted them in the name of rehabilitation.

The Kalluthan Kadavu Slum Rehabilitation Project of the Kozhikode Corporation aimed at rehabilitating slum dwellers was launched in 2009 and completed in 2019. The project promised 146 housing units in the first phase and a commercial complex for a wholesale fruits and vegetable market in the second phase. The estimate was Rs 60 crores, of which Rs 12 crores was meant for the housing project. The seven-storeyed building that is now a subject of controversy was built by the Kalluthankadavu Area Development Company (KADCO), which was formed under the private-public partnership.

Kept in the dark
Besides 89 families evacuated from the slum at Kalluthan Kadavu, a few families from a Dhobi Khana at Muthalakkulam, Nadakkavu Colony and Chintha Valappu also reside at the Corporation's housing facility. They had lived on 'poramboke' for generations.

In 2019, when the families left the slums for their new abode they were in for a surprise. “We were promised a two-bedroom apartment, but a less-spacious, single-bedroom apartment was provided,” says Revathy S, secretary of the residents association.

She says they were kept in the dark about the project. “We saw the apartment for the first time just two days before it was handed to us. We were not allowed to see it before.” Moreover, the residents complain that the corporation has not kept its word on the transfer of ownership. Right now, the local body owns the building, where the families merely live rent-free.

That said the families still need to cough up at least Rs 700 per month for maintenance of the lifts and other so-called facilities. “We never wanted a high-rise building to reside. They had promised us blocks of three-storeyed apartments,” Revathy says.

The slums flooded, but it was still home
Prabhu, 26, who works in a private telecom company remembers life back in the slums. “The only challenge we faced in our colony was the threat of floods each year. When it flooded we shifted to camps and then went back. Otherwise, we were happy.”

Prabhu is planning to get married to his lover, but he is worried about sharing the already congested unit. “How can I bring my girl to this single-bedroom apartment? Me, my brother and our parents live in this small space. Some families have six and even seven members,” says Prabhu.

For the families that came from the Dhobi Khana, the apartment posed a different problem. Washing clothes was their livelihood, but now they are struggling for space to dry even their clothes as a space initially provided for the purpose on the terrace was closed following a leakage problem. Now they are compelled to buy washing machines;18 families have left.

Meanwhile, 21 families from Puthery Sathram Colony refused to leave their huts after hearing about the issues at the apartment.

Opposition files complaint in Vigilance
The opposition party leader and councillor of Ward 12, KC Shobitha, has lodged a complaint in Kozhikode Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau.

“Life-threatening situation prevails in the apartment,” Shobitha said in her complaint. “The apartments leak after each rain, and unscientific constructions have led to cracks in the building. The corporation handed over the contract to an inexperienced construction company and the apathy of officials is quite visible,” she has alleged.

No building number yet
To make matters worse, the apartments do not have a building number yet. Shobitha says fire and safety rules were violated in the construction. “When there was a fire, the Fire Force unit had to stop their vehicle on the main road because the path was too small for the unit. That's against the state's buildings rules,” Shobitha said.