Exclusive : DLF Carlton Estate Rotting in Corroded Cracks
By Vineet Malik | July 25, 2020 | Gurgaon, India
Carlton Estate – Tower of Deceit
Come July, the month of onset of monsoons in Delhi National Capital Region ( NCR ) in India, the sight of rain water cascading down between the prominent cracks on the roof of the Lower Ground Floor of Carlton Estate IV, spark off to frighten the residents.
DLF, also known as Delhi Land and Finance Limited, a real estate developer owned by Kushal Pal Singh and Rajiv Singh as part of developing its most ambitious pursuit launched Carlton Estate, a high rise residential project in the late 1990s and thereafter began to offer the possession of apartments to its customers from 2003 onwards.
Ever since the residents received the possession of their apartments, complaints of poor and substandard construction pertaining to the said building started surfacing.
Instances of prominent cracks developed on the roof of the tower with corroded iron beams visible from bare eyes also came to light.
Around 2015, the residents were shocked to notice cracks on the roof of the Lower Ground Floor of Carlton IV building that dwells 242 families.
If the foundation roof of a building is un-repaired and over-looked, the fissures can stow to structural firmness and safety of the building in peril.
The said infirmities over the years has resulted in erosion of the steel inside the structure and further reduced the life span of Carlton Estate.
The unceasing ingress of rain water entering into the foundation of Carlton Estate has extensively damaged the building and could further lead to the high risk of collapsing, given the fact that , Gurgaon falls under Seismic Zone IV - High Damage Risk Zone of Earthquake that covers areas to MSKVIII.
Carlton Estate IV building lies in a high density area of Sector 53, DLF Phase 5, surrounded by other residential and commercial skyscrapers and a kindergarten school in close proximity of less than 100 meters.
DANGEROUS NEGLECT
Apparently, corrosion of Reinforced Cement Concrete ( RCC ) slabs of Carlton Estate has impacted the steel that is further leading to erosion of the metal and debilitating the structure of the said building.
Leaking water in RCC acts as a lethal electrolyte which works as a deteriorating agent.
Given the poor condition of Carlton Estate in such a short span of time, the residents have been hoodwinked by the said builder.
Mishaps pertaining to buildings collapsing are quite common in almost every part of India, in particular frequency of such instances phenomenally surge during the rainy season.
The major generic possibilities for developing cracks in a building are due to :
Poor Workmanship in every aspect of construction such as RCC, Brickwork, Plaster and more
Faulty / Defective DesignUsage of Poor or Substandard Construction Material; Low Grade Cement, Stone, Metal etc
Incorrect Method of Construction Foundation Movements
Changes in Temperature and Climate
Load of Wear and Tear
Lack of Maintenance
Cracking due to lack of Soil Investigation
Poor Water Proofing
Charanjiv Kaur - former literature Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, and resident of Carlton Estate says
No wonder, the Lower Ground Floor always smells of dampness even in dry weather.
It is a big fire hazard due to the high voltage electric cable fittings and fixtures installed all over the Lower Ground Floor that makes the entire area all the more unsafe not only for the residents but also for the plumbers, electricians, salon workers and laundry workers.
“The Lower Ground Floor has to be strong as it supports the entire building.
After DLF has sold the apartments to the residents , it has most conveniently washed their hands of and put the lives of the residents in grave danger.
Did DLF give the possession of the apartments to the residents thinking that the life span of the building is only for 5 to 10 years.”
Lt. Col. Sarvadaman Oberoi ( Ret’d ) - Human Rights Activist says
“The Management of Carlton Estate Condominium Association ( CECA ) and Builder ( DLF ) are grossly negligent and liable under the National Building Code of India ( NBCI 2005 ) , Disaster Management Act ( DMA 2005 ) as also Indian Penal Code ( IPC ) provisions of Dangerous Structure and Criminal Breach of Trust.”
NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF INDIA
The Code gives necessary information required by the Architect, Structural, Construction and Service Engineers and the Professionals from early stages of planning to translating the building on to the Terra Firma.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT OF INDIA
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 was passed by both the houses of Parliament of India – the Rajya Sabha on 28 November, 2005 and the Lok Sabha on 12 December, 2005. It received assent of the President of India on 23 December, 2005.
Narendra Modi – Prime Minister of India is the Chairperson of National Disaster Management Authority ( NDMA ).
The Chairman and Directors of DLF Ltd and V K Gupta – Sr. Vice President ( Operations ) – DLF Phase 5 were reached out with a request to undertake necessary repairs along with their comments however, they chose not to respond to the said communication.
Can Carlton Estate Gurgaon Withstand an Earthquake
The eerie images of the damaged area of the Lower Ground Floor of Carlton Estate IV reflects perpetual anguish and insecurity among the residents.
