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)

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

Caterpillar Debuts Three New Cat Excavators at EXCON 2025

Caterpillar Inc., a global leader in construction and mining machinery, strengthened its commitment to India’s infrastructure growth with the debut of three new Cat® hydraulic excavators at EXCON 2025, held from December 9–13 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The new models—Cat 321, Cat 322 and Cat 324—mark a significant step forward in delivering efficient, digital-ready equipment tailored for India’s evolving construction needs.Designed to support sustainability and productivity on modern jobsites, the machines feature advanced powertrains and intelligent electrohy..

JK Tyre Expands OTR Lineup with Four New Launches at EXCON 2025

JK Tyre & Industries, one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers, introduced four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at the 13th edition of CII EXCON 2025, South Asia’s largest construction equipment exhibition, underway at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The latest additions strengthen the company’s OTR portfolio and reaffirm its focus on delivering advanced mobility solutions for construction, mining and industrial operations.The new tyres were unveiled by R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre. Among the highlights was the debut of the SKY GRIP, a specialised tyre des..

ACE, Sanghvi Movers Ink MOU to Boost India-Made Heavy Crane Adoption

Action Construction Equipment (ACE), the world’s largest pick-and-carry crane manufacturer and a leading Indian construction equipment maker, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Sanghvi Movers, Asia’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest crane rental company. The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of indigenously manufactured heavy slew cranes, particularly truck cranes and crawler cranes, across large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects in India.The alliance aligns strongly with the Government of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “M..