In the latest development concerning the Chintels Paradiso housing complex in Gurugram, the district administration has declared another tower, Tower H, “unsafe for habitation” following a structural audit report. Officials have ordered the residents of Tower H to vacate the premises within 15 days. This decision comes in the wake of a series of safety concerns and structural issues within the complex.
The Chintels Paradiso complex has been grappling with safety issues since February 10, 2023, when a section of a sixth-floor apartment in Tower D collapsed, resulting in two fatalities and prompting a comprehensive structural safety audit by a panel from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Subsequent studies and reports have led to orders for residents of several towers to vacate due to safety concerns.
The latest directive to vacate Tower H was issued by Nishant Kumar Yadav, the deputy commissioner of Gurugram, based on the findings of the IIT Delhi structural safety audit report. Officials reviewed the report and determined that Tower H was “unsafe for human habitation,” necessitating the evacuation order.
In response to the structural safety audit report, the district administration has issued a notice instructing residents to vacate Tower H within 15 days. The notice designates the district town planner (enforcement) as the nodal officer and duty magistrate responsible for overseeing the evacuation. It also warns of legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, against those who fail to comply with the evacuation orders.
While Tower H is to be vacated, it has been noted that Towers B and C have also shown signs of deterioration, although they are not currently considered unsafe. Sixteen families reside in Tower H, which comprises 52 flats.
Previously, Tower G of the Chintels Paradiso Society was declared “unsafe for habitation” in June 2023 after a structural safety audit, becoming the fifth tower to receive such a designation. Towers D, E, and F had already been declared “unsafe to live in.” The complex comprises a total of nine towers.
Reacting to this development, JN Yadav, Vice President of Chintels India, emphasized their commitment to resident safety and mentioned that settlement offers had already been extended to the residents of Phase 1 of Chintels Paradiso. Many residents have received monetary settlements, and Yadav welcomed the administration’s decision to evacuate Tower H for the safety of the occupants.
Rakesh Hooda, President of the Residents Welfare Association of Chintels Paradiso Society, expressed that residents had yet to receive an official copy of the evacuation order. He reiterated residents’ demands for the builder to provide rent for alternative accommodation and to reconstruct their flats on the same site, echoing the concerns of affected homebuyers within the project.