Shainu Mohan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Puddles of sewage right in front of their homes continue to make life miserable for around 20 families living in one of the apartment complexes at Karimadom Colony. Living amid the sickening stench of sewage and mosquitoes, these families comprising babies and elderly are constantly under the threat of contagious diseases. Sixty-five-year-old Mallika, a kidney patient residing in a flat on the ground floor of a complex, is trapped inside her house owing to the broken sewage line adjacent to her front door. “The nauseating stench has made me asthmatic. Sewage leaks have become a daily affair. When complaints are raised, they unclog the drain and the situation becomes normal for a short period. It is difficult for people who live alone,” said Mallika. “In the past year, I had spent around 55 days at Fort Hospital because of asthmatic attack. I have a lot of other serious health issues and these add to my troubles. What we need is a permanent resolution of this issue,” she said. Jeena Feroz, a mother of three, has to walk through sewage puddles everyday. “My youngest child is just six months old and others are also small. It is difficult to walk through the dilapidated pathway because of the broken sewage line. My children often fall sick after they come in contact with the water,” she added. Residents responsible? The city corporation constructed these apartment complexes under Basic Services for Urban Poor Programme (BSUP) scheme back in 2010. Costford -- the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development -- executed the project. According to officials, as per the agreement signed by the beneficiaries, residents of the colony are solely responsible for the maintenance on their respective premises. Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha (KPMS) district president and a resident of Karimadon Colony Chalai Mohanan alleged that the authorities continue to neglect the issues of the residents. “We have raised the issue many times. There are around 80 families in the colony. The councillor and the civic authorities have turned a blind eye to our problems,” he said. Unscientific waste management Manacaud ward councillor Simi Jyothish said the sewer lines are often clogged because of unscientific waste management. “People dump waste carelessly which clogs the system causing leaks. Every individual should take the responsibility to ensure effective management of waste. A higher level intervention is required to resolve the sewage crisis at Karimadom,” said Simi.An official with the Kerala Water Authority said the issue repeatedly occurs because the area is low-lying.“The requirement of the colony has changed as the sewage lines were laid several years ago,” he said.Director of Costford P B Sajan said their maintenance contract expired five years after handing over the flats. “Even after the expiry of our maintenance contract, we continued to fix many issues there. We will surely look into this issue,” said Sajan.

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