Demolition of Chander Kunj Army towers: Kerala High Court verdict on review petitions silent on tower A

The Kerala High Court order on Wednesday, while disposing of a bunch of petitions to review its February 3 verdict directing the demolition and reconstruction of the B and C towers of the Chander Kunj Army Apartments at Vyttila in Kochi, was, however, silent about tower A in the close proximity of the other two towers.

The District Collector in his capacity as the convenor of the district committee formed at the court’s direction to oversee the proposed demolition and reconstruction has called for an urgent inspection of the tower A since it was built by the same construction company that built the other two soon-to-be demolished twin towers.

“Moreover, the impact of the demolition on Tower A has to be studied since the water connection, gas pipes and electricity to A, B, and C towers are interlinked,” said the affidavit.

Even before the court disposed of the review petitions, the district committee had set November 9, 2025, as the tentative date for the demolition of the twin towers and October 31, 2029, for handing over the newly built apartments. This was part of the elaborate four-phase plan the committee has drawn up starting with the evacuation of affected families by July 31.

The affected families will be given three weeks’ notice ahead of evacuation. The committee has asked the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) to release three-months rent based on the category of the apartment unit they have been holding as decided by the court. Besides, each family should be given ₹30,000 each towards shifting charges.

The demolition of the towers will mark phase two. Two months between August 16, 2025 and October 16, 2025, will be devoted to the preparation of the engineering design for the demolition. Preparation of structures for demolition by implosion would take two months from September 1. November 9 has been set as the tentative date for demolition. Cleaning of the demolition site by removing the debris is likely to be completed in two months by January 9, 2026.

Finalisation of the project management consultant (PMC) would mark the third phase. The design would be finalised between January 9, 2026, and February 28, 2026, and approved by March 31, 2026.

The six-month-long piling and foundation works between April 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026, would mark the beginning of the fourth phase. Reconstruction works would be finished in two-and-a-half years by July 31, 2029. Yard levelling, numbering of the apartments and their eventual handover would be completed in the next two months.