Balconies at Gurugram's Chintels housing complex collapse, raises safety concerns
What's the story
Balconies on Tower D of the Chintels Paradiso housing complex in Gurugram's Sector 109 collapsed on Thursday at around 9:30PM. While no casualties or property damage were reported in the incident, it has raised further safety concerns for residents.
Notably, tower D of the housing complex had been cordoned off and its surrounding area sealed off since November 2022 following the Gurugram deputy commissioner's orders after a section of the sixth floor collapsed.
Details
Previous incidents at Gurugram's Chintels Paradiso
The history of structural issues at the Chintels Paradiso complex dates back to 2022, when several flats in Tower D collapsed and led to the tragic deaths of two women.
Following structural audits, authorities ordered the demolition of Tower D and the evacuation of the nearby towers.
According to the district administration, repair work was underway in the living room of a sixth-floor flat when its roof fell, causing all of the floors underneath it to fall.
Twitter Post
Check out release from housing complex owners after incident
Press Release for collapse of Tower D balconies in #ChintelsParadiso on 09.11.23@DC_Gurugram @nishantyadavIAS @dtcphry @TCP_HARYANA @csharyana @cmohry @mlkhattar @MoHUA_India @Secretary_MoHUA @OfficeofHSP @HardeepSPuri @PMOIndia @narendramodi #Justice4ChintelsParadiso https://t.co/ix9CAjWK86 pic.twitter.com/5FZrsJQ6K5
— Chintels Paradiso Flat Owners (@ChintelsOwners) November 9, 2023
What Next?
Families in Tower F asked to vacate earlier
In June 2023, the developer cordoned off Tower F, which had previously been ruled unsafe, to prevent mishaps resulting from a sagging balcony in one of the apartments.
It was also reported that Chintels India, the developer, informed Gurgaon authorities about the measure and urged them to intervene in vacating the two families still residing in the tower.
Know more
IIT Delhi's structural audit on Chintels Paradiso complex
The structural audit, which was conducted by IIT Delhi, revealed that five of the Gurugram complex's nine towers were "unsafe for habitation."
Among these were Towers D, E, and F, which have been fully evacuated since then.
However, Towers G and H of the housing complex still have some families living in them, posing potential safety risks.
More details
Details on IIT Delhi's structural audit
In its report to the Gurugram district town planner's office, IIT Delhi said that they found "high chloride content in most of the concrete used in the structure."
"Also, it can be seen that the corrosion is active throughout a large part of the structure, and the rate of corrosion is high," added the report.
The audit further suggested that there was chloride infiltration in the concrete during the time of construction.