In November 2004, the Noida Authority allotted a plot of land to Supertech to construct a residential society.
New Delhi: On Sunday, the demolition of Supertech’s illegal twin towers – Ceyane (29 storeys) and Apex (32 storeys) — located in Sector 93A will take place as per schedule. The agencies will use a huge quantity of explosives and all arrangements have been made to execute the work in a planned manner. Though all eyes will be on the success of the demolition of, here’s why the two giant structures are being demolished.
In November 2004, the Noida Authority allotted a plot of land to Supertech to construct a residential society. In June 2006, additional land was allotted to Supertech. In December 2006, the plan was modified to 15 towers with 11 floors each and a total of 689 total flats. At that time, Supertech argued that the plans were governed by the Noida building bylaws of 1996. In November 2009, the plan was revised to include two more towers, the Apex and Ceyane, with 24 floors. And, the construction began.
In March 2012, the number of total floors increased to 40 in the two towers. According to Supertech, the floors were built in accordance with the 2010 Noida building regulations. The Resident Welfare Association of Emerald Court Group Housing Society approached the local authorities regarding the illegal construction of Supertech’s twin towers. In March 2012, the association moved Allahabad High Court alleging that the towers were constructed in violation of the UP Apartments Act of 2010. The residents alleged that the towers were constructed in an area marked as a garden in the brochure.
Supertech claimed that both the towers are a part of the Emerald Court project of Supertech but the Allahabad High Court ordered the demolition of the twin towers in 2014. The High Court ordered that buyers must be refunded with 14 per cent interest. It also observed that the officials of Noida authority colluded with the builder to construct the towers, which were sealed. The Noida authority and the builder appealed against the order in Supreme Court claiming that there was no violation of rules. The homebuyers also moved the court seeking a refund, regularisation of towers or an order to shift them to another project as more than 600 flats of both the towers were already sold.
The matter was heard by the Apex Court in August 2021 and Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice M R Shah upheld the High Court’s order clearing the way for demolition of both the tower standing tall at nearly 100 metre. The top court was also informed that the towers were built at less than the mandated 16-metre distance between them. Though the demolition has been delayed for over a year but the Noida authorities, in May this year, informed the court that the work for the demolition had commenced and was likely to be finished by May 22. However, on May 17, the court once again extended the deadline to August 28. A few days back, the top court set August 28 as the date for the demolition of the towers.
To execute the demolition work, more than 3,700 kg of explosives will be used. For the scheduled implosion, the skeletal structures of the twin buildings were rigged with explosives. According to the report, the agency hired to demolish the towers have placed the explosives as per the schedule and the charging process has also been done.
Nearly 7,000 residents living in Emerald Court and a nearby society have been evacuated while vehicles at these societies have also been taken away. Round the clock emergency services have been put in place to tackle any untoward incident. The authorities have also marked an area of 450 metre in front of the twin towers as an exclusion zone where neither any people nor animals will be allowed to go. There will be ‘no fly zone’ for drones in the vicinity of the towers. Since the demolition will take place around 2:30 pm, no traffic movement will take place between 2:15 pm and 2:25 pm on Sunday.
Since the demolition will result in an approximate 35,000 cubic metre of debris, a major portion of the debris will be accommodated in the basement of the building itself. The remaining debris will be treated scientifically by the agencies.