A seven-year-old boy, Nikunj Chaudhary, was injured after a large chunk of plaster fell from a balcony at the BPTP Amstoria housing society in Sector 102, Gurugram. The incident occurred while the child was playing near flat A-31 on the ground floor. The debris fell from a second-floor balcony, causing serious head injuries. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable.
The incident has triggered outrage among residents, who alleged that the builder used substandard construction materials, resulting in repeated safety hazards. Residents claimed they pay more than ?60,000 a year in maintenance charges, including ?15,000 every three months, but continue to face serious risks because of poor upkeep. They alleged that repeated complaints about crumbling plaster on balconies and walls have been ignored by both the builder and the maintenance agency. Residents said their safety concerns remained unaddressed until the latest accident. The collapse caused panic across the society, and the boy’s parents are now preparing to file a police complaint against the builder and the maintenance agency, holding them responsible for the incident.
The incident has also renewed concerns over the administration’s failure to enforce structural safety measures in residential societies. Former Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav had earlier directed structural audits of housing societies to prevent such accidents. However, residents alleged that the proposed audits were never carried out, leaving people in societies such as BPTP Amstoria exposed to the same structural defects the exercise was meant to identify and rectify.
Reacting to the incident, Shyam Sunder, managing director, BPMS, said, “We are deeply concerned about the unfortunate incident and wish the child a speedy recovery. The individual units were handed over to homeowners more than five years ago, and the project is currently maintained by JLL. Residents have been advised not to place flower pots on balcony edges. The RWA has also been requested to ensure periodic repair of balcony plaster and painting, as these are outside the scope of CAM maintenance. The matter is being examined and all necessary support is being extended.”
