BENGALURU: Just three months after the Greater Bengaluru Authority issued an occupancy certificate, an 18-floor apartment tower within the SNN Raj Etternia complex near Kudlu off Hosur Road is slated for demolition.
The builder opted to dismantle the tower before any residents moved in, as it was discovered that the structure had begun to tilt due to inadequate stability work before construction commenced.
Constructed over four years, the tower consists of 49 flats, which buyers were eager to occupy before this structural issue arose. The complex includes 14 other towers that are free of defects. Out of the total 972 apartments in the project, 822 have already been handed over to owners.
This unexpected situation emerged when the developer requested the GBA chief commissioner for permission to demolish the tower within six months and to rebuild it over the next two years.
Alongside the demolition request, the builders sought to revoke the occupancy certificate granted by the GBA.
GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao stated to TOI: “The occupancy certificate (OC) was issued based on evaluations provided by the builder. Should there be any discrepancies, we will retract it and notify the building.”
SNN Raj Corp director Anuj Sanjay Jain noted that the issue stemmed from a fault in the initial geotechnical assessment. “While all approvals were in place and we were about to hand over the units, we noticed slope undulations. Upon conducting a soil reinvestigation, we discovered a key error was made by our previous consultant,” Jain explained.
“Although the building appears intact, it could face problems in 10-15 years. Therefore, we will completely reconstruct the tower housing 49 units,” he added, noting that the developer had met with affected homebuyers to clarify the unusual circumstances.
“The homebuyers have been understanding, though disappointed they must wait longer for possession,” he remarked, mentioning the rebuilding would require 18 months following six months dedicated to phased dismantling.
A senior engineer at Bengaluru South City Corporation highlighted that the OC is issued by the town planning department after verifying adherence to the sanctioned building plans, and is not contingent on civil engineering or structural design evaluations. “Soil behavior is unpredictable; sometimes a cavity may exist 30-40 meters below the surface, which is only identified during load testing,” he stated.
“The tilt was identified during a water load test conducted by the builder, leading to the immediate request for demolition permission from authorities,” he added.
The GBA assistant director (town planning) BN Girish confirmed the demolition application had been received.
When asked if the neighboring towers required a similar review, Rao indicated it is not necessary at this moment but assured that GBA would ensure the safety of nearby areas.
