Gurugram: Chintels Paradiso residents demand settlement before demolition of unsafe towers

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Gurugram, April 9

A day after the administration granted permission for the demolition of the five towers declared unsafe for habitation in Sector 109’s Chintels Paradiso, the residents’ association has asked the authorities to mandate settlement before the demolition begins.

100 families yet to strike agreement

• According to the Resident Welfare Association, around 100 families who have opted for reconstruction of flats as settlement are yet to strike an agreement with the builder
• The association claims that while the administration in the case of Tower D, which partially collapsed in 2022 killing two persons, mandated settlement within 60 days before starting demolition, it has laid no such condition for other towers

According to the Resident Welfare Association (RWA), around 100 families who have opted for the reconstruction of the flats as settlement are yet to strike an agreement with the builder. The association claims that while the administration in the case of Tower D, which partially collapsed in 2022 killing two persons, mandated settlement within 60 days before starting demolition, it had laid no such condition for the other towers.

The RWA has asked Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Yadav to ensure that all residents are settled before the actual demolition begins to ensure justice.

“The reconstruction plan given by the builder has been rejected by the majority owing to discrepancies in what was promised and what has been offered. The demolition order come as a surprise as many residents are still awaiting an agreement on their rentals. We have asked the DC to follow the Tower D template and mandate settlement within a stipulated timeframe before demolition begins,” said an RWA official, while president Rakesh Hooda remained unavailable for comment.

The DC said residents have raised certain concerns that will be taken up. “As of now, we have handed out a list of mandatory SOPs and NOCs the builder needs to get before starting demolitions. Residents’ concerns are being looked into, and we will ensure that they get fair rehabilitation,” said Yadav.

The developer had sought permission to demolish Towers D, E, F, G and H after IIT-Delhi declared these towers unsafe in its structural audit report. Edifice Engineering, the firm that razed the Supertech twin towers in Noida in August 2022, has been roped in for the purpose. The firm, however, says contrary to the Noida towers, which were brought down in a controlled implosion with 3,700 kg of explosives, the Paradiso buildings will be razed floor-by-floor by crusher machines.

Edifice has already started removing fit-outs (doors, windows, plumbing and electrical accessories) of these towers and submitted a demolition plan and timeframe to the builder. The permission for demolition came on Monday after detailed deliberations with departments concerned like the Gurugram MC, Haryana Pollution Control Board, police, public works, disaster management, town and country planning, fire and labour departments.

According to the letter granting permission, debris from the demolition site will be disposed of at an MCG site, and measures will be taken to minimise dust pollution and ensure the safety of residents and adjoining structures. Police and fire departments will keep an eye on the situation.