Kerala HC Orders Demolition, Reconstruction of Chanderkunj Army Towers

04 Feb 2025 CW Team

The Kerala High Court has ordered the demolition and reconstruction of Towers B and C of the Chanderkunj Army Towers at Silver Sand Island, Vyttila, citing severe structural distress. The verdict follows a prolonged legal battle over the poor quality of construction, despite the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) arguing for retrofitting instead of demolition.

Justice CP Mohammed Nias ruled that the demolition was necessary to prevent casualties and safeguard residents. The court directed the district collector to form a committee comprising an experienced structural engineer, two resident association representatives, a municipal engineer, and a town planning officer. The committee must finalise the evacuation, demolition, and reconstruction process within two weeks.

The court also mandated AWHO to compensate residents with Rs 21,000 per month for Tower B and Rs 23,000 per month for Tower C to cover rental expenses during reconstruction. Additionally, AWHO must disburse Rs 1.75 billion as per the committee’s recommendations. The committee will also determine any additional amount residents may need to contribute before taking possession of the new building.

Originally built for serving and retired army personnel, the towers were handed over in 2018 but showed structural defects within the first year. Multiple expert reports, including one from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, confirmed severe issues, prompting the court to prioritise safety over retrofitting.

(manorama)

Infrastructure Energy

17 Sep 2025

Adani Power To Build 2,400 MW Plant in Bihar

Adani Power on Saturday (September 13, 2025) announced plans to set up a 2,400 MW ultra super-critical power plant in Bihar at an investment of $3 billion (around Rs 26.48 billion).The company has signed a 25-year Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL) to supply electricity from the project, which will be located at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district.The PSA follows a Letter of Award issued by BSPGCL to Adani Power on behalf of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL) in August. Adani P..

NTPC Plans Nuclear Power Projects Via JV and Standalone Routes

Power major NTPC is planning to develop nuclear power projects both through joint ventures and on a standalone basis, CMD Gurdeep Singh has said.The company is collaborating with nuclear technology providers and state governments to explore individual nuclear projects, Singh added.Currently, the NTPC Group has an installed capacity of 82,926 MW across 53 NTPC-owned stations and 53 joint venture or subsidiary stations, drawing power from coal, liquid fuel, hydro, and solar sources.In December 2024, Singh had announced NTPC’s ambitious plan to enter the nuclear energy sector, a move expected t..

RVNL Wins $21.6 Million Bhopal Division Traction Substation

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has been declared the lowest bidder for a $21.6 million traction substation contract awarded by the West Central Railway.The project covers the design, modification, supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of a 220/132kV/2×25kV Scott-connected traction substation, switching posts, Auto-Transformer installations, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in the Bina–RTA section of the Bhopal Division. The execution period is set at 540 days.In a regulatory filing, RVNL stated that the order was secured in the ordinary course of business and doe..