Gurgaon : The last of Chintels Paradiso towers to be assessed for structural defects was declared unsafe for habitation on Monday, closing a 34-month loop that has seen all nine residential towers of the condominium where flats sold for at a range of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore when it went to the market in 2012.
In its latest report, Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) has found that Tower B has severe structural flaws, including widespread cracks, corroded reinforcement bars and substandard concrete, findings similar to those in the other towers.
What this means is that Tower B will also have to be evacuated and Paradiso will become perhaps the first modern condominium in the country – Paradiso was completed in 2011 – that will be brought to the ground, another dubious first for NCR, which has already seen the razing of the Supertech twin towers in Noida.
The structural assessments of Paradiso’s towers began after a vertical collapse of living rooms of flats across five floors in Tower D on Feb 10, 2022 led to the death of two residents, which was followed by days of protests on the compound, with residents accusing the developer of not reacting on time to concerns like sagging balconies that they had raised.
Tower D was evacuated immediately after the cave-in. The other towers followed over the months, a process that was slow but had an air of inevitability about it as tower after tower was found to have the same defects.
“Corrosion in reinforcement bars, poor concrete quality, and significant structural deterioration were identified as critical safety risks. Experts also noted visible puffing of tiles, bulging floors and damaged balconies, with many elements showing signs of advanced corrosion. The building is beyond repair and recommended demolition is the only feasible solution,” the CBRI report says of Tower B.
Read the report on any of the other towers (A-J, the condominium has no Tower I) and the inference is similar – poor concrete and corrosion. The condominium, where possession of flats began from 2014-15, has a total 532 flats.
Developer Chintels India, which wants to rebuild the condominium, has now written to the district administration, urging it to expedite evacuation of Tower B and towers A and C, where families continue to live.
In its letter, Chintels highlighted the urgent need for demolition to prevent potential disasters. The letter also noted that the administration had previously applied the National Disaster Management Act to six towers—D, E, F, G, H, and J— and ordered their demolition in April 2024 after they were declared unsafe.
Chintels has announced a one-time shifting allowance of ₹40,000 for each flat owner in towers A, B and C. Edifice Engineering, the company that brought the twin towers down, has been engaged to demolish Paradiso and Chintels has revised its contract to include Tower B.
The company, which has given a buyout option to residents who sought a refund, said owners of flats in Tower B would be entitled to the same, based on current market value of their flats and interior costs at rates determined in collaboration with the administration.
In Feb 2022, the administration had called IIT-Delhi to assess the structural safety of the towers. Subsequently, towers E and F were declared unsafe in March 2023, G in June 2023, H in July 2023, J in Jan 2024, C in Aug 2024 (done by CBRI), A in Oct 2024 (CBRI), and finally B (also CBRI).
Towers D, E, F, G, H and J have been fully vacated. A total of 56 residents remain in flats in tower A, 54 in B, and around 30 in C. So far, the district administration has officially declared towers D, E, F, G, H and J as unsafe and ordered demolition. The administration has assured residents demolition will be carried out in a phased manner to minimise disruption.
Mukesh Singhal, a resident of tower B, said, “I am a retired person with no pension or any other source of income. We are being asked to vacate the flat for no fault of ours. At the age of 72, I cannot wait 5-6 years for the house to be reconstructed. For me, the best option is that the developer buys back at the current market rate.”
Santosh Vasudevan, who lives in B-304, had a different view. “Looking at the current situation arising out of the tower being declared unsafe, our demand is clear and uncompromising. We demand rebuilding and a house of the same size at the same location, and the builder to pay rent at the market rate from the date of vacation till the possession of the newly built apartment,” he said.
RWA president Rakesh Hooda said, “The builder should meet and address towers A, B and C flat owners’ concerns and get them on board for reconstruction so that the complete project can be taken up together.”
