Gurugram residents allege authorities didn't act on pleas over poor construction

A group of residents of Gurugram’s Chintels Paradiso housing society alleged that the police and city administration had ignored their complaints of substandard construction and poor materials, arguing that proper action could have averted Thursday’s roof collapse, which left at least three people dead and several more injured.

A 30-year-old woman resident said she, along with other residents, had approached the Bajghera police station on July 21 last year with complaints about the towers’ construction quality, but claimed that her complaint was not acknowledged.

The complaint concerned a ceiling collapse on the 4th floor of Tower H.

“I even went to the district town planning department and after repeated complaints they asked the developer to conduct an audit, after which a report was submitted that said there was no problem and all towers are safe to live,” the woman said, asking not to be named.

KK Rao, commissioner of police, said the complaint was sent to the DTP office for further investigation. “We had registered daily dairy report (DDR) and transferred the complaint to DTP, following which they had asked for an audit report,” he said.

The society has nine towers of 18 storeys each, with residents from across the complex on Thursday saying they would now move to other homes, citing safety concerns. The collapse took place in Tower D.

“I was on leave and having tea with my wife when the incident took place on Thursday evening. We were on the 12th floor [of Tower D] and heard a noise, after which people started screaming. I have moved my family out of the building and to a nearby hotel till the situation is brought under control. We don’t want to return to the building and will start looking for options,” said a serving Indian Army officer, who asked not to be named.

Yashesh Yadav, president, Dwarka Expressway (DXP) Welfare Association, said the residents had also filed an RTI in September last year after the police did not file an FIR against the developer.

“It was asked if a case of non-cognizable report was registered, details of action taken into the incident or complaint, if any, may be intimated along with documentary evidence. Also, whether statements of residents have been recorded and statements of developer was recorded or not but there was no reply to these questions,” he said.

Yadav said the reply of RTI was not satisfactory and there were no response to the questions asked.