No takers for ₹57-lakh truss work at Mundamveli apartments

The ₹57-lakh project to install a truss at P&T apartment complex in Mundamveli built by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has failed to attract bidders even after re-tendering.

The project is funded under the development fund of local MLA K.J. Maxy. The delay has left 77 families in despair as almost all apartments leaked heavily during an intense shower earlier this week. Barely a month after residents were shifted to the complex from the erstwhile P&T Colony in January 2024, leaks began appearing during the first rains in February and have since spread to nearly every unit.

The truss installation was cleared after a three-member panel, including an expert from IIT Madras, conducted a structural stability analysis last August. The State government had approved consultancy to IIT Madras to detect structural and design flaws and recommend solutions after prolonged delays.

However, engineering sources in the Kochi Corporation now claim that the GCDA has not yet issued a structural stability certificate, without which work cannot begin even if tendered. The GCDA, meanwhile, dismissed this, countering that the tender was floated only after the certificate was issued.

Residents say the problems now extend beyond leaking roofs. “Of the six water tanks with a capacity of 25,000 litres or more in the two blocks, two have started leaking heavily, while the other four have developed scratches, leaving us literally under the shadow of a water bomb. Small cracks in foundational pillars, initially dismissed as air gaps, have widened. If the IIT Madras report raises structural stability concerns, then the buildings should be demolished and reconstructed to ensure our safety,” said Abhilash P. Parameswaran, president of the P&T Apartment Owners Association.

Meanwhile, other works, including the construction of the compound wall and landscaping, which were suspended following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the local body polls, are yet to resume. In December, the association took out a protest march to the contractor’s residence after the stalled works caused septic tank blockages, disrupting bathroom use.

At a meeting convened by District Collector G. Priyanka on Thursday (February 5, 2026), the contractor said he would not resume work without approval from Mr. Maxi, since the project is funded through the MLA’s development fund. Mundamveli division councillor K.J. Prakashan said the protest had distressed the contractor, and that the residents should have approached officials instead.

Boycotting all political parties, the association fielded Mr. Parameswaran as a candidate from Mundamveli. Residents believe this had antagonised Mr. Maxi, who had since declined to attend meetings addressing problems in the apartment complex. Mr. Maxi could not be reached for comment.