Chintels Paradiso owner says will go for another audit before taking down buildings
GURUGRAM: Amid ongoing controversy over demolition of its buildings and refunding of residents’ money, Chintels builder has said it will take another opinion on the structural strength of the building before it takes a final call. The builder said this in a mail to the society’s RWA.
It said it has had preliminary discussions with the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) and Engineers India Limited (EIL) for another structural audit in order to get a second opinion.
After the mail, the RWA approached the district administration seeking its intervention into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav has said that the builder has to abide by the order.
“This is to inform you that we have repeatedly requested to the Department of Town and Country Planning for copies of the actual lab test results on which the IIT has based its conclusion,” J N Yadav, vice president of Chintels, said in the mail.
“Thus far, there has been no response, in the absence of which we are unable to take a concrete decision to move forward. We have had preliminary discussions with CBRI and EIL for conducting another structural audit in order to get a second opinion,” it said.
The builder said that it is of the view that all affected towers of Chintels Paradiso are repairable because there are various technologies/ methodologies around the world that are being used to restore age old buildings and buildings with similar problems.
“We believe it will be foolhardy to rush and destroy a beautiful project, simply on the basis of an unsubstantiated report of any organisation, without exploring any other possible alternatives.
“Since most of the residents of Paradiso have expressed their desire to continue to live there, we believe that in the interest of all stakeholders that a second audit be conducted by a more credible and transparent agency such as CBRI and EIL or any other competent international agency, so that the project can still be salvaged,” it said in the mail.
RWA president Rakesh Hooda called the builder’s attitude “unsympathetic and inhumane.”
J N Yadav, when contacted by PTI, said, they are seeking a second opinion, as IIT so far has failed to provide the actual test report, and accused the premier tech institution of “hiding facts.” “Without the report how can we come to the conclusion of demolition.”
DC Nishant Kumar Yadav said: “There is no need for any second opinion as IIT is a trustworthy agency. We will supply them with a report but they have to abide by the order.”
Chintels is being asked to demolish its buildings in Chintels Paradiso society in Sector 109, as in February this year, the sixth floor of its Tower-D came down killing two people.