FORT KOCHI: Adjacent to the St John De Britto Anglo-Indian High School in Fort Kochi runs a narrow tarred road straight into to a 20-cent plot where a water tank is located. The plot which belongs to Kerala Water Authority is filled with weeds and has become a haven for anti-social activities. Even though the local people have complained about illegal activities like ganja selling and drug peddling here, the Corporation and the water authority are yet to take any action. Women living in the locality are scared of walking alone in this area as many strangers can be seen frequenting the neglected compound.Locals said that it has been almost 40 years since the water tank was constructed to supply water in Fort Kochi area. However, it has stopped functioning after leakage was noticed in several parts of the tank. “The police have not taken any action so far. The Mayor came here during the election period and promised to take necessary steps but nothing has been done,” said Ansel Vadathazha, who lives nearby. Even the councillor has not done anything about it. Ajith, living close to the area has seen many persons inside the compound during night. “Once a family walking on the road was attacked by some youngsters coming out from the compound. The man suffered severe injuries in the attack. Even though we informed the police, they couldn’t take any action,” Ajith said.The water authority officials said that they are planning to undertake a cleaning drive soon. “We intend to clean and maintain the compound and the water tank. The compound wall has to be raised in order to stop dumping of waste here and a watchman is necessary. The tank has a capacity of 18 lakh litres of water. The tank has been leaking from some areas and we have to rectify it. It will be a solution for water crisis in Fort Kochi,” said K F Babu, executive engineer, Kerala Water Authority.Councillor Antony Kureethara admitted that the compound has become an ideal place for anti-social activities. “I have sent a proposal to the Corporation for setting up a children’s park after cleaning the place. We hope to get the nod soon,” said Antony Kureethara.According to police officials, night patrolling is on in the area and necessary measures have been taken. But the compound should be cleaned and a security person needs to be appointed. “The police patrol every night in the area. But the authorities must first clean the compound and deploy a guard to ensure the safety of the people living nearby,” said Vimal Kumar, Sub Inspector, Fort Kochi.
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