Chintels: Demolition of first of 6 ‘unsafe’ towers begins in Gurugram

On Jan 29, a representative for Chintels said the developer has begun demolishing Tower H of the Chintels Paradiso condominium in Gurugram

Gurugram: The developer of the Chintels Paradiso condominium in Gurugram Sector 109 has begun demolishing the first of six residential towers that were declared unsafe by the district administration, officials said on Wednesday. Currently, workers are razing the structure manually, with mechanical demolition likely to start in a couple of days, the officials said, adding that the entire process is likely to take around six months.

The developer of the Chintels Paradiso condominium in Gurugram Sector 109 has begun demolishing the first of six residential towers that were declared unsafe by the district administration earlier. (HT PHOTO)

The complex has nine towers — A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J. On February 10, 2022, renovations at a sixth-floor flat in Tower D led to the ceiling of a bedroom collapsing, causing a cascade effect in which portions of flats caved in all the way down to the first floor. Following the incident, in which two people were killed, the Haryana department of town and country planning (DTCP) ordered a structural audit of the entire complex.

Based on the audit reports, the administration declared towers D, E, F, G, H, and J unsafe for habitation, and gave approval for Chintels India Ltd, the developer, to demolish the buildings.

On Wednesday, a representative for Chintels said the developer has begun demolishing Tower H, with workers manually removing water tank installed on the roof as the contractor sets up the machinery to mechanically raze the building.

“The demolition of these six towers will take around two months but it will take six months to clear the construction debris. All measures have been put in place to ensure safe demolition and it is being carried out by a contractor, which has expertise in this work,” Chintels India Ltd vice president JN Yadav said.

District town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia said permission has been granted to the developer to demolish six towers. “The developer must ensure that all safety measures are put in place during demolition. The district committee has already issued a detailed guideline on this matter,” he said.

Separately, the developer is also likely to pursue the approvals for building plans to reconstruct the six towers, as they have already got permission to develop the project in two phases. “The reconstruction of the project will be carried out by experts, and we will hire top-notch contractors,” Yadav said.

The fate of the remaining three towers is yet to be decided — while technical experts have recommended their demolition, the administration has asked the developer and home owners for their views on the matter before passing a final decision.

Chintels Paradiso RWA president Rakesh Hooda, who owns an apartment in Tower A, said all home owners in towers A, B, and C should be paid rent. “The flat owners of A, B C towers are demanding revaluation of towers at current rate. The developer should also share the reconstruction plan with us,” he said.