Chander Kunj Army Towers: No retrofitting works until Oct 29: HC

Kochi: The high court has directed stakeholders of the Chander Kunj Army Towers at Silver Sand Island in Vyttila, Kochi, that no steps will be taken to proceed with the proposed retrofitting work of the buildings until Oct 29.Justice C P Mohamed Nias issued the interim order in response to petitions filed by Ciby George, an occupant of the apartments, and others, seeking intervention from the district collector to ensure the safety of the building's inhabitants. Previously, the court had instructed the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, to conduct a structural audit of the deteriorating towers and submit a report within 45 days. The IISc team submitted its report, prompting the court to allow stakeholders of the apartments to file their objections and suggestions regarding the report within three weeks. The bench scheduled further consideration of the petitions for Oct 29.The IISc report assessed that Towers B and C exhibit significant distress due to severe corrosion and recommended their demolition to prevent future casualties. In contrast, Tower A was deemed manageable through retrofitting, as suggested by Bureau Veritas India Pvt Ltd. The Army Welfare Housing Organization (AWHO) had previously submitted a detailed project plan for retrofitting the Chander Kunj Towers, with estimated costs ranging between Rs 50 and 55 crore. Given the petitioners' objections to the Bureau Veritas report, the bench allowed three days for stakeholders to propose names of experts or organizations for review. Later the HC identified the department of civil engineering at IISc as a common choice and tasked them with conducting a structural audit of the buildings.