Hyderabad: The GHMC has sealed over 15 shops outside the gate of the Chandralok Complex. The complex itself was sealed on Tuesday following the death of a man when a portion of the building collapsed on him. The shops will not be opened unless repairs are taken up by the complex welfare association. Traders were not allowed into the complex premises. No further collapse of the structure was reported on Wednesday.
Commercial offices operating in Chandralok Complex and the adjacent residential flats need not vacate the premises for repairs; the vulnerable points are more on the roof top, corridors and the front elevated portion on the sixth floor, officials said. Engineering experts from JNTU inspected the Chandralok Complex on Wednesday. Dr N.V. Ramana Rao of the university’s civil engineering wing said, the roof top was the most vulnerable area, where growth of vegetation and weak parapet wall were identified.
“There is a defect in the architecture of the building. It has been built in a manner that blocks the flow of rain water. Cell towers and advertisements placed on the rooftop add to the blockage. When water stagnates, it settles into the concrete and corrodes it,” Dr Ramana Rao said. “The slabs have corroded at several locations, even on the ground floor. The management should have allowed a pathway to drain the rainwater. If maintenance us done every five years, the building will be structurally stable. The owners have to take up the responsibility and not the government,” he said. JNTU experts have issued suggestions on repairs.
Traders say cash stuck in complex:
Traders who were barred from entering the Chandralok complex on Wednesday blamed the management for ignoring regular maintenance of the building. They have planned to stage a protest in case immediate repairs are not taken up by the welfare association.
Mr Dinesh Sharma, a trader, said, “cash and important accessories are in the shop. We were not allowed to take important machinery. My store on the ground floor has been sealed by GHMC. The welfare association held a meeting but did not inform the traders.” The A and B blocks of the Chandralok complex has over 130 commercial establishments. Around 80 per cent of the space has been rented out. The C Block is residential.
