On February 10, a portion of the sixth floor of Chintels Paradiso building in Gurgaon had collapsed onto the first floor, leading to the death of two people. (File) A preliminary inspection report submitted by a team from IIT-Delhi to the committee probing the collapse of a portion of a tower at Chintels Paradiso society in Gurgaon’s Sector 109 last month has found that the steel reinforcements in debris and collapsed portion were corroded, and there were rust marks on pieces of concrete.
The report, submitted earlier this month, stated, “The steel reinforcements, that could be observed in the debris and in the remnants of collapsed portion, was seen to be significantly corroded. Rust marks were also seen on pieces of concrete that could be seen in debris. There were cracks in the beams and vital cracks in the external columns.”
The report noted that cracks were observed in floor tiles in several flats, and residents informed that frequent repairs were carried out in buildings and at the sixth-floor flat, where the collapse had happened. It added that the corrosion had led to the reduction in the diameter of steel bars.
As per the report, it was recommended that a detailed structural audit of the condominium be conducted and material testing be carried out for any deficiencies.
A three-member team from IIT-Delhi had visited the society for an inspection on March 6.
On February 10, a large portion of the sixth-floor apartment of tower D had collapsed all the way to the first floor, killing two women.
Days after the incident, the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) had ordered a structural audit of the affected towers to detect defects in design or workmanship during construction. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, was also formed to probe the incident.
R S Bhath, district town planner (enforcement) Gurgaon said, “The committee will take up matters related to Chintels Paradiso society and progress of aspects related to the probe in a meeting on Friday.”
On Tuesday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recommended a CBI probe into the collapse.
Rajeev Kumar, ACP, Udyog Vihar, who is part of the SIT conducting the probe, said: “In view of the announcement by the CM, the government will issue a formal notification and the probe would be handed over to the CBI in the coming days.” He said that the structural audit report of the IIT team was still awaited.
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