Demolish, reconstruct Chander Kunj Army Towers at Vyttila in Kochi: HC

The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered the demolition and reconstruction of towers B and C of Chander Kunj Army Towers on Silversand Island, Vytilla. Considering the expert reports, the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994 the Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the order passed by the District Collector, Ernakulam, there is no alternative but to direct AWHO to demolish and reconstruct the towers.” The court directed the District Collector to constitute a committee comprising experts, including an experienced structural engineer, two owners from the residents association, an experienced engineer from the municipality concerned, an experienced officer from the Town Planning department, and such other personnel necessary for a proper implementation of the demolition and reconstruction of the towers with equal size and facilities. The court ordered that the committee should meet within two weeks and decide the modalities for evacuation of the allottees, demolition, and reconstruction of the towers in question. The court directed AWHO to pay the owners of towers B and C, who were residing on March 29, 2024 ₹21,000 and ₹23,000 respectively per month towards the expenses for alternative accommodation until reconstruction.