Rajaji Nagar housing allotment in Thiruvananthapuram has been held up because the Kerala Water Authority is yet to provide a connection to a completed 32-flat rehabilitation block, delaying the return of families displaced by the Smart City redevelopment project.
The first phase, implemented by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), consists of a four-storey building with 32 two-bedroom apartments. The structure was built at a cost of around Rs 9 crore and has already received a power connection. However, the pending water supply connection has prevented the final allotment and occupation process from being completed.
A senior SCTL official said arrangements for allotting the homes and shifting beneficiaries were nearing completion. The remaining steps can be taken up after the water connection is provided, the official said. Families temporarily relocated to make way for construction are among those expected to move into the new apartments.
The official added that shifting could begin within about two months after the allotment process starts. The timeline, however, depends on the completion of the water connection and the subsequent administrative process for allotment and occupation.
A Kerala Water Authority official confirmed that the connection had not yet been completed and said steps were being taken to provide it at the earliest. The authority did not provide a specific completion date in the information available.
The delay has come after the apartment block crossed the main construction stage. SCTL officials had said in July that the building was ready for occupation except for the pending water connection and that the allotment process had been initiated. The latest hold-up illustrates how a basic utility connection can determine whether a completed public housing project can be occupied.
The building is part of the larger Rajaji Nagar redevelopment project spread over 12.6 acres. The integrated plan covers an area where hundreds of families live in ageing and substandard housing and envisages 248 new housing units, along with internal roads, stormwater drainage, parking and community facilities.
The first phase was originally targeted for completion in 2025. While the 32-unit block has been completed, the allotment and occupation of the homes remain dependent on the pending KWA connection. SCTL is expected to proceed with allotment and begin shifting beneficiaries once the water supply infrastructure is made operational.
