The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) at Gurugram has asked the developer of Chintels Paradiso to get the two towers in the housing complex which saw a building collapse vacated immediately.
The district administration had ordered the evacuation of towers E and F of the housing complex in sector 109 in Gurugram where a portion of tower D collapsed in February 2022, killing two women. The residents continue to live in these buildings that have been declared unsafe for living by IIT-Delhi.
In an order, the district town planner (enforcement) Gurugram, directed the builder to pay the rent to residents of the two towers at a rate of Rs 15 per square foot.
Residents of these towers were demanding the reconstruction of flats at the same site and a 10 percent higher monthly rent compared to what was given to the evacuees of tower D.
The order said the structural audit report of IIT Delhi has declared towers E and F unsafe for human inhabitation.
“Developer of Chintels Paradiso Society has to pay rent at Rs 15 per sqft. In addition to the above, a one-time lump sum amount of Rs 40,000 shall also be paid to the owners presently residing in these towers for shifting. The owners of E and F towers are at liberty to shift to the place identified by them and the above charges shall be paid by the developer with a commitment of six months' rent,” the order issued on March 15 stated.
It said the developer will have to sign an agreement with residents for payment of rent for 11 months and pay it till the final settlement of claims with flat owners.
The builder has ten days to execute the rent agreement.
Residents speak
Rakesh Hooda, a tower E resident and president of the Chintels Paradiso Resident Welfare Association (RWA), said that both the towers housed around 40 families and barring a few, most of them are still living in these buildings.
“We were demanding a 10 percent hike in old rent rates as in the last one year rentals in the area have gone up by 10 to 12 percent. We accept the rate of rentals decided by the administration but demand that it should be given to affected owners of all 116 flats and not selectively,” Hooda told Moneycontrol.
He said the district administration should release the order for the reconstruction of their flats at the same site.
Another resident of tower F, who requested to remain anonymous, said as directed the developer should make a written agreement regarding payment of rent so that residents are not left in the lurch.
“Homeowners are suffering without any fault of theirs. The developer and the administration should also bring some clarity about the reconstruction of our flats at the same site. We want our flats to be reconstructed,” he said.
According to Chintels Paradiso RWA, as many as 28 families of tower D are living in rented accommodations in the same complex. The developer is paying these owners Rs 25,000 a month towards rental expenses for a three-BHK flat, and Rs 37,000 for a four-BHK unit. The 18-storied tower D has 50 flats.
The issue
On February 10, 2022, two women were killed after the ceilings of several flats in tower D of the complex collapsed. Following the incident, besides a police investigation a team of experts from IIT-Delhi was asked to conduct a structural audit.
In November 2022, the Gurugram district administration ordered the demolition of tower D after it was found unfit for habitation. The demolition order also noted that there was sagging in one of the balconies of tower F and other signs of distress in various other flats of towers E and F.
The structural safety audit report of towers E and F was submitted to the administration in November last year but it was under review by the administration.
According to the district administration officials, a structural safety audit of other towers including A, G and H is also underway.
The IIT-Delhi in its report in February this year said there is rapid and widespread corrosion of reinforcement almost throughout the structures of towers E and F.
The report said due to the high chloride content in the concrete repairing these structures for safe usage is not technically and economically feasible.
Developer’s take
“We are offering a very fair amount of rent. We are concerned about the safety of the residents and by them not moving out, they are disobeying orders of the government. We have repeatedly asked them to vacate in line with government orders,” a spokesperson of Chintels India said.
The spokesperson said the developer is paying up to Rs 40,000 per month in rent depending upon the size of the apartment.
Also Read: One year of Chintels roof collapse in Gurugram: An uncertain future awaits residents
Tower E has 14 floors while tower F has 15. There are 56 flats in tower E and 60 in F.
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