Repair work begins at Rohini complex 10 yrs after cracks 1st spotted

The decision comes years after residents repeatedly flagged crumbling plaster, corrosion in beams, and falling concrete.

Nearly a decade after cracks first began appearing on the walls of the judicial officer’s residential complex in Rohini, the Public Works Department (PWD) is finally set to begin major structural repairs at the site, officials said on Saturday.

Repair work begins at Rohini complex 10 yrs after cracks 1st spotted

The decision comes years after residents repeatedly flagged crumbling plaster, corrosion in beams, and falling concrete. Their concerns were largely ignored until an elderly resident was seriously injured in February last year, when a chunk of debris fell from the ceiling, leaving him bedridden for months.

“Some basic repair work was carried out last year and interiors of multiple flats have recently been repaired. We are now starting work on the exteriors of the towers, including structural repairs to strengthen the buildings,” said a PWD official.

Under the new tender issued this week, PWD will be hiring a contractor for civil upgradation and remedial work for the exterior damaged structural elements at the complex.

The estimated cost is ₹26.50 crore, including ₹26.02 crore for civil work and ₹48 lakh for electrical repairs. The work will be carried out over 11 months, according to officials.

According to officials, the complex in Rohini Sector 26, comprising three towers with eight floors and 48 flats, was completed in 2016 and handed over to allottees the same year. Built at an estimated cost of ₹60 crore, the complex began showing signs of structural distress within two years. By 2018, cracks had appeared in several columns and beams. Residents had raised the issue multiple times, but no repairs were undertaken.

Following the accident, PWD issued a provisional debarment order against the contractor responsible for the project, citing “failure to execute work with due diligence”.

In its final order, the department observed that “the structure showed visible damage within six years of completion, including corrosion in reinforcement, spalling of concrete, and swelling of floor slabs”. The order, a copy of which HT has seen, also noted that reinforcement bars were exposed and corroded, indicating poor quality of construction.

The fresh repair work will include retrofitting and rehabilitation of columns, beams, slabs and walls using polymer-modified mortar, micro-concrete, galvanic protection and fibre wrapping. Contractors are also required to conduct non-destructive testing, including rebound hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and corrosion monitoring, to assess structural integrity before and after the repairs.

PWD officials said the department has now mandated stricter scrutiny and documentation during the rehabilitation process. “The work will be closely monitored through photographic and video evidence and testing will be done at reputed national laboratories,” the official said.