Children in to-be-demolished flats stressed, says welfare body

The Ernakulam District Council for Child Welfare on Friday said about 300 children, residing in five apartment complexes ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court, have been undergoing extremely stressful situation.

The razing down of the flats was ordered by the apex court as they have been built in violation of the coastal regulatory zone.

"The children say they are very tensed. They are not able to sleep," the office-bearers of the council said in a statement after interacting with the children below 18 years living in the apartment complexes at Maradu.

The office-bearers, including district vice-president K S Arun Kumar and treasurer D Salim Kumar, had an hour-long interaction with the children.

The council said one college student complained that she was laughed at by her friends saying she was from the flats to be demolished.

The children told the authorities that they did not celebrate Onam festival.

On the day of Thiruvonam, they staged a sit-in in front of the Maradu municipality.

The officials of the council said they would provide necessary assistance to the children overcome the extremely stressful situation they were currently facing.

They visited the children as the Maradu Municipal authorities and the state government initiated steps to demolish the five apartment complexes.

The apex court had last week pulled up the Kerala government for non-compliance of its May 8 order directing demolition of the five apartment complexes at Maradu and said the state was known for "not following" its directives.

Directing the government to comply with its order by September 20, the court had said if a compliance report was not filed, the state chief secretary should appear before it.