On the 28th of august 2022, India witnessed its biggest ever demolition in greater Noida sec 93a of The Supertech Twin Towers in Noida, which were taller than the Qutub Minar the demolition was so big that it had its impact on every possible aspect of the environment be it pollution, the corruption inside the system or on the lives of people living in that sector, particularly inside the emerald court. The towers were razed to the ground at 2:30 pm today nine years after residents went to court alleging violation of norms. 3,700 kg of explosives were used to destroy them.
These towers were Ceyane (29 floors) and Apex (32 floors) as there was a high risk of casualty in that area the whole emerald court was asked to leave that area to ensure minimal environmental harm, extensive planning had been done before the explosion. The occupants of the neighboring buildings were relocated to safer areas. The residents were not allowed to come back until and unless the authorities don’t give any green flag for safety. For about 30 minutes, the airspace was shut down, and traffic was also rerouted. The local stray animals of that area were also relocated to the safer place 1 week before the demolition.
The demolition was one of the most difficult tasks because the structure was very close to each other and constructed in a seismic zone. According to the guidelines, the minimum distance between buildings should be of 36.5meters but when measured between twin towers it was 9.88meters. The next challenge for Noida authorities was to clean the mountain of debris created by the demolition. It is estimated that it will take approximately 3 months to clear all that debris as the demolition has produced approximately 55,000 tons of debris.
Nearly 7,000 holes in the building pillars were filled with explosives and 20,000 circuits were installed to connect for a smooth and successful demolition. The explosion was timed so that the towers fell straight down using a technique known as the “Waterfall Technique.” The buildings collapsed within 10-12 seconds after the blast.
An insurance policy worth Rs 100 crore taken by the company Supertech covered the demolition project. The total estimated cost of the demolition was Rs 20 crore. If there is any damage to nearby buildings, the insurance will cover it all. Supertech is required to pay the other expense of the residents occurred due to the demolition.
After a 9-year-long legal battle, the twin towers were destroyed. The buildings were supposed to be demolished by last August, according to the verdict given by Supreme Court but due to technical issues, it took a year.
Finally, in the end, the tower of corruption was demolished after lots of legal battles since the 2009 law was successful in keeping its shine intact.
Riya Singh
2nd year student (B.Tech-cyber security and forensics)
School of Engineering and Technology
Sushant University
