Vyttila Chander Kunj Army Towers must be demolished; IISc with report; evacuation of 208 flats and 800 residents necessary
KOCHI: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has recommended the demolition of the Vyttila Chander Kunj Army Towers, which are in danger of collapse due to construction defects and corruption. It also mentioned that the B and C towers with 29 storeys each cannot be maintained with maintenance and recommended that residents should be evacuated immediately to avoid disaster. The 17-storey A-tower is not in deep trouble but needs constant monitoring.
The towers built by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) in Silver Sand Island in 2018 were in risk three years after construction. In March last year, the District Disaster Management Authority and 11 study teams, including those of the municipality, had recommended the evacuation of towers B and C. There are 208 flats in the two towers and around 800 residents.
On June 19, the high court appointed the IIS for the study after some of the flat owners approached the high court against the AWHO's plan to renovate the buildings in two years for Rs 86 crore. Dr JM Chandra Kishen, professor, department of civil engineering, visited the buildings and prepared a report.
The towers had started to crack even in the basement. The rods of the pillars corroded and the concrete was cracked. The plates are falling apart. The floor collapsed. Few people got scared and moved.
Key Recommendations
- It is better to demolish and build new towers than to strengthen the towers at a cost of Rs 86 crore.
- It will cost around Rs 150 crore to build new ones. Only 15 years of life if strengthened
- The cause of corrosion is the presence of chloride in the concrete. This can't be solved.