The Supertech twin towers in Noida were demolished on Sunday, August 28, a year after the Supreme Court's direction to raze the illegally built structures to the ground. The Apex (32 floors) and Ceyane (29 floors) towers were under construction since 2009 within the Supertech Emerald Court housing society in Sector 93A of Noida, adjoining the national capital of Delhi. They were the tallest structures to be demolished in India. An official of Edifice Engineering, the company which was tasked with the demolition, said there was no damage to the residential towers in the adjoining Emerald Court society. The nearly 100-metre-high structures were taller than Delhi's iconic Qutub Minar (73 metres).
The Supreme Court had on August 31, 2021, ordered the demolition of the towers for violation of building norms in "collusion with district officials, holding that illegal construction has to be dealt with strictly to ensure compliance with the rule of law". The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA), also called the Noida Authority, had received a rap on its knuckles as the top court pointed out multiple incidents of collusion of its officials with Supertech Ltd in the Emerald Court project and violations of norms by the realty major in construction of the twin towers.
"The case has revealed a nefarious complicity of the planning authority in the violation by the developer of the provisions of law," the Supreme Court had observed. The top court ordered that Supertech would bear the cost of the demolition as it noted that the construction of twin towers, which was not part of the original plan for Emerald Court, directly affected the quality of life of its residents.
#WATCH | Once taller than Qutub Minar, Noida Supertech twin towers, reduced to rubble pic.twitter.com/vlTgt4D4a3
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2022
The only other precedence of high-rise structures in India being demolished is four housing complexes in the Maradu municipality area of Kochi, Kerala, in January 2020 in compliance with orders of the Supreme Court, which had held the 18-20 storey buildings to be illegal as they had been built in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms. Edifice and Jet Demolitions had collaborated for the Maradu complexes demolition, too.
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The local Noida Authority, which had approved the building maps in the first place, oversaw the mega demolition exercise which had been in planning for almost a year now. Edifice Engineering had hired South Africa's Jet Demolitions for its expertise. The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) was appointed by the Supreme Court as a technical expert for the project. Before the towers were demolished, around 5,000 residents of the Emerald Court and ATS Village societies vacated their homes for the day. They will be allowed to return after the inspection team grants clearance. Nearly 3,000 vehicles and 150-200 pets, including cats and dogs, were also taken away.
The nearly 100-metre-high structures, taller than Delhi's iconic Qutub Minar (73 metres), were brought to the ground in seconds by the 'waterfall implosion' technique. Over 3,700 kg of explosives were used in the implosion that brought down the building.
Minutes after the demolition, the nearby buildings appeared to be safe. A team of Edifice, South Africa's Jet Demolitions, CBRI and Noida officials was conducting the structural analysis of adjacent buildings in the Emerald Court and the ATS Village societies. Water sprinklers and anti-smog guns have been activated at the site to mitigate dust, an official said.
The demolition of the structures leaves behind an estimated 35,000 cubic metres or 55,000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes of debris which chiefly includes concrete rubble, steel and iron bars and would take another three months to be properly disposed of.
Doctors said people living nearby, especially those suffering from respiratory diseases, should take extra care and avoid the area for a few days if possible. Dr Jugal Kishore, head of Community Medicine department at the Safdarjung Hospital, said, "The dust particles will remain suspended for quite some time in case of low wind speed. People suffering from respiratory problems -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and bronchitis -- should avoid the area, if possible … They should limit exposure to the affected area for at least 48 hours. Others living in and around the area should avoid exercises for a few days."
Supertech Ltd has incurred a loss of about Rs 500 crore, including construction and interest costs, because of the demolition of the twin towers, the company's Chairman RK Arora said on Sunday.