Kochi: Filmmaker Rajeev Ravi had named his upcoming movie Kammatipaadam as it is set in the 80s and reflects the life of initial residents of Kochi long before it became a busy city. However, life is not that rosy for nearly 80 families living in Kammattipadam, located at the heart of the city but encircled by railway lines on three sides, the only such place after Shoranur.
The residents living in the five-sq km area are at the mercy of the Railways as they need to obtain its permission for even taking a pit. While water-logging due to overflowing of wastewater from the nearby canal is a headache during monsoon, the residents face issues from drinking water shortage to plastic menace (bottles thrown from trains) round the year.
“They are the original residents owning land there for decades. But even for a minor issue like damage to water pipes, the Kochi Corporation could do nothing as it requires the nod of the Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai, a lengthy process that extends up to three months. The area is yet to see the light of development on many fronts due to this,” Dr Poornima Narayan, Gandhi Nagar councillor, said.
The Railways too expressed their inability to relax procedures for giving permission to activities like digging. “It may affect the stability of tracks and only after inspection and all, we can give the nod for activities like laying the pipeline. There is a similar area encircled by railway lines on three sides at Shornur, but it’s an open land there,” said an official.
However, this time, the Railways agreed to clean all culverts near railway lines before the onset of the monsoon that is expected to address the major problem of the residents. “Disposing of plastic bottles from the long-distance trains is the main issue. It will block the canal and result in overflowing,” said Ravi Prasad, a resident.
