IIT to structurally audit ‘unsafe’ buildings across Haryana, states government

The Haryana government on Monday said that all buildings across the state, against which complaints of poor construction have been lodged, will be structurally audited by a committee of IIT engineers

The Haryana government on Monday said that all buildings across the state, against which complaints of poor construction have been lodged, will be structurally audited by a committee of IIT engineers. It will also empanel a specialised agency to carry out third-party audits and inspect the buildings.

The decision has been taken after ceilings of multiple flats in Tower D of Chintels Paradiso condominium collapsed on February 10, killing two residents. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

To be sure, the government has not specified a timeline for the audit.

Agriculture minister JP Dalal, who was speaking in the state assembly on behalf of the chief minister, said the government had asked the department of town and country planning to prepare a detailed list of buildings against which complaints of seepage, cracks, structural faults, and poor construction quality have been lodged.

“Structural audits will be carried out and remedial measures suggested by experts will be implemented. Also, action will be taken against those involved in violations,” Dalal said while replying to Opposition MLA Chiranjeev Rao’s question regarding action taken by the government in the Chintels Paradiso incident, wherein the ceilings of multiple flats in Tower D of the condominium collapsed on February 10, killing two residents.

To be sure, on March 14, the department of town and country planning had written to IIT Rourkee asking them to form a team and conduct the structural audit of five condominium complexes — Raheja Vedanta, Raheja Atharva, Brisk Lumbini, M3M Woodshire, and Mahindra Aura — where residents had complained of defects. The decision to conduct the structural audit was taken after the enforcement wing of the department of town and country planning recommended the structural audit to the headquarters following several complaints and protests by residents.

“The government must also ensure the involvement of government departments in ensuring the quality of construction so that when such an incident takes place, someone is held accountable. Right now the developers have the freedom to choose their own structural consultants and auditors and it gives them undue leverage at the cost of home buyers,” said MLA Rao.

Dalal informed the House that in cases of group housing societies, the government has decided to not issue the final completion certificate until the complaint is resolved by the developer. He added the government has also drafted structural safety regulations to allow real estate businesses to conduct safety audits of buildings periodically during the issuance of the occupancy certificates.