Towers E and F of Chintels also deemed unsafe, to be vacated

The structural audit reports of towers E and F of Chintels Paradiso condominium, prepared by IIT-Delhi, have deemed the towers structurally unsafe, the district administration said on Tuesday, adding that residents in both towers will have to vacate their homes and they will be rehabilitated as per rules.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, additional deputy commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena said technical experts from IIT-Delhi have observed that repairs on towers E and F will not be possible as such repairs were neither technically nor financially feasible. According to experts, these towers are not fit for habitation. The order to evacuate residences will be issued by the district administration on Wednesday, said Meena.

Presently, 40 families are residing in towers E and F while 28 families are residing in tower D.

The latest audit report is bound to further intensify the agitation by residents who are already unhappy with the final compensation package offered by the builder and have asked that they be compensated at current market rates or the buildings be reconstructed and new flats handed over to them.

Pradeep Popli, a flat owner in tower E, said they will vacate the flats only after a written assurance from the district administration that their flats will be reconstructed and rent is paid to them in the interim. “We will not vacate the flats without such a written assurance,” he said.

The poor quality of construction at Chintels Paradiso in Sector 109 came to fore last year after two women were killed on February 10 following the partial collapse of six floors in tower D.

Soon after the collapse, the state government ordered a structural audit of the entire condominium. In November last year, the district administration deemed tower D unsafe for habitation and asked all residents to vacate their homes.

A case was also registered against the developer by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 17 this year and the agency is currently probing the collapse incident.

In the latest audit report, IIT-Delhi experts said high chloride content in concrete was the reason for the very noticeable levels of corrosion in the reinforcement.

“The concrete used in the construction of these buildings was found to have a high chloride content. This is why the steel and concrete got corroded. Based on the recommendations of the report, it has been decided that these two towers be vacated and flat owners in these two towers will be rehabilitated,” said Meena.

He said samples from towers A and F have also been collected and the audit of these two.towers will also be carried out.

When asked about the matter, a Chintels spokesperson said, “We haven’t received the audit report as yet, once we get a copy, we will study the report. We have already engaged a reputed government agency, CBRI, to conduct a second structural audit of towers D, E, F, G and H and are awaiting that report.”