Multiple issues in design of new HQ, Noida authority to get IIT-Delhi to conduct safety audit

According to officials, approximately 70% of the project has been completed, and the building is expected to be ready by the end of 2023

The Noida authority team, led by chief executive officer Lokesh M, has found that there are multiple weaknesses and technical faults in the structural drawings of its building being constructed in Sector 96 for administrative use.

The building has missed multiple deadlines in the past and will further get delayed due to fresh inquiry, in Noida. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The building has missed multiple deadlines and will be further delayed due to the fresh inquiry into its structural stability.

The building plan included the construction of an 18 storey and an 8 storey building. The 18 storey building will feature a basement with parking space for 1,200 cars. The current authority office, located in Sector 6, is a small two storey building. The completion of the new building will benefit residents and visitors who currently face parking challenges, according to officials

After conducting the site inspection, along with his engineering department team, Lokesh M on Thursday wrote to the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to carry out a safety audit of the structural drawings of the under-construction building in Sector 96, where the authority’s main administrative office is to be shifted.

“We have written to IIT-Delhi asking them carry out an audit for a vetting of the structural design of the building. We have taken this decision after we found during the inspection that there are multiple technical faults in the structural drawings. We found that the finishing of the building, pillar condition, design, structural stability and other aspects need improvement,” said Lokesh M.

According to officials, approximately 70% of the project has been completed, and the building is expected to be ready by the end of 2023. If all goes according to plan, the authority may shift its key administrative operations to the new office in January 2024.

Construction of the building began in 2015, and due to delays on the part of the contractor, the work is yet to be completed. Over the course of eight years, the authority identified some structural safety issues in the building, prompting the authority CEO to carry out an inspection.

“We will get the audit done by IIT-Delhi in the next 10 days and then take further action to strengthen the structure and go ahead with the construction,” said Lokesh M.