Chintels developer awaits admin’s nod for May 1 demolition

The developer, in its demolition proposal, plans to begin the demolition exercise on May 1, and has said that the entire site will be cleared by December 15

The demolition of five towers at the Chintels Paradiso residential complex at Gurugram Sector 109, which were deemed unsafe for habitation, will take around eight months, the developer has said, adding that it has sought formal permission from the Haryana department of town and country planning (DTCP) and the district committee to go ahead with its proposal.

Chintels Paradiso located at Sector-109 near the Euro International School, in Gurugram, Haryana. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

On February 10, 2022, renovations at a sixth-floor flat of Tower D in the society located at 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 residents were killed, DTCP ordered a structural audit of the entire complex, and based on a report prepared by IIT-Delhi, the Gurugram administration deemed five of the nine towers in the complex — D, E, F, G, and H — unsafe, and in need of demolition.

The developer, in its demolition proposal, plans to begin the demolition exercise on May 1, and has said that the entire site will be cleared by December 15. The developer said it has already begun the initial process of removing doors, windows and other fixtures from the five towers.

The proposal, submitted on March 7, states that the demolition contractor will deploy a high-reach machine to demolish the structures safely. “Water tanks and a few floors will be demolished manually, depending upon the height of the machine with the help of electric breaker,” the proposal states, adding that the debris will be sent to an MCG C&D plant for disposal, while surrounding properties will be covered to prevent the ingress of dust.

HT has seen a copy of the proposal.

A Chintels spokesperson said, “Permission for (the demolition of) Tower D has been granted, while permission for other towers is expected soon. At the moment, only removable items are being removed from the towers.”

A senior government official, who is a member of the district investigating committee formed to probe the Chintels Paradiso incident, said that to ensure the towers are demolished safely, they have asked for suggestions and recommendations from various departments on the matter, and a report has been compiled. “These recommendations include measures to be taken for movement of fire and emergency vehicles at the site during demolition, prevention of air pollution, management of construction waste, safety of workers, safety of neighbouring structures, and residents living close to the unsafe towers These suggestions have been taken from various departments and report is being submitted to the district committee for further action,” the official said, declining to comment.

The Chintels Paradiso RWA, meanwhile, said that they want the authorities to ensure all safety norms are followed during demolition. RWA president Rakesh Hooda said, “All norms pertaining to pollution, safety and other regulations should be followed.”