Over 65 Gurugram high-rises report structural anomalies

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram, January 23

Residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) have demanded a set of structural safety norms for the NCR districts of Gurugram and Faridabad.

The demand was raised after structural issues were reported in over 65 high-rise buildings in Gurugram, which are awaiting a structural audit.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, the house owners of around 75 societies of the two districts urged the state government to intervene and ensure locals could enjoy the right to safe living. They also urged the authorities to make builders accountable for the safety of the buildings.

The local residents have demanded that occupation certificates (OCs) or completion certificates should be issued only after a project gets a go-ahead from a state recognised structural audit agency.

“Builders are making unsafe projects while buyers are being duped. Later, when problems surface, residents have to go from pillar to post begging authorities to ensure safety of their buildings. We request the authorities to issue OCs only when safety of the structure is guaranteed,” read the letter.

Praveen Malik, president, United Association of New Gurugram, said, “Around 67 societies in Gurugram have reported structural faults and are lined up for audits. However, nothing concrete is happening due to the lack of binding laws. There is no accountability for safety of residents as builders manage to get OCs even with the poorest quality of work.”

“Safety is the biggest cause for concern for new house owners. The state government needs to put norms in place to make officials and builders liable for residents’ safety,” Malik added.

It is pertinent to mention here that after a tower of the Chintels Paradiso at Sector 109 collapsed partially and six of its 9 towers were declared ‘unsafe’, residents of various high-rise buildings in Gurugram are scared for the structural safety of their own residences.

A majority of the societies built in the New Gurugram area have reported issues like exposed iron bars, sagging balconies, cracks, damp basements, etc. The administration has started structural audit of 37 societies so far. A majority of these have been visually audited.

A structural audit comprises of three stages. It begins with visual inspection, in which external building structure and construction quality is examined. This is followed by a non-destructive test of concrete that helps determine the compressive strength and other quality of concrete of an existing structure without destruction. It is mainly done through two tests: rebound hammer test for surface hardness and ultrasonic pulse velocity for strength and quality of concrete.

If the non-destructive tests confirm defects in concrete, destructive testing is conducted. This is carried out by the way of core cutting to verify the seismic performance of a new building or the actual performance of an existing building. After these tests are carried out, the agencies recommend repair work and corrective measures.