Kochi: Electricity, water supply cut as owners hire generators, tankers

Kochi: The authorities have virtually ‘choked’ the residents of the four apartments in Maradu by cutting off their power and water connections early on Thursday.

The residents described the action as complete ‘violation of human rights’ as the Supreme Court is scheduled to make a detailed order on the case on Friday.

They remained defiant and hired generators for power and tankers for water supply. They decided not to leave the premises and held a protest by lighting hurricane lamps and torchlights as night enveloped the apartments. The owners will submit complaints to the SC Chief Justice, national and state Human Rights Commissions and Amne-sty International citing human rights violations involved in cutting power and water connections without any warning.

The state government has constituted a nine-member engineering team to oversee the demolition of the apartments. Fort Kochi sub-collector Snehil Kumar Singh, who is in overall charge of the demolition, will hold discussions with them on Friday. The team will also talk to companies that submitted expression of interests to undertake the demolition.

Chief secretary Tom Jose is expected to submit a timeline prepared by the government before the bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra on Friday. The timeline has set 120 days to complete the entire operation.

The demolition work will commence on October 11 and end by January 9, 2020 in 90 days. The removal of debris and clearing of the site will commence on January 10 and be completed by February 9 in 30 days.

State power minister M.M. Mani said he regretted the decision to snap the power connection, but said the government has no option other than to comply with the SC order.

In a Facebook post, former HC Judge K.R. Udayabanu said the state should not smoke out people like rats.