The demolition of Noida’s Supertech twin tower is scheduled to take place on Sunday (28 August) at 2:30 pm. The towers had made the news when the plan of demolition was announced but the date was not set until now. The 40-storey building that took nearly 3 years to be built will be reduced to rubble in seconds. The Supertech Twin Towers demolition in Sector 93A, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, will take place on August 28, 2022. Supertech spent approximately Rs 933 in construction costs per sq ft, while the demolition for the same area will cost Rs 267. Mumbai-based Edifice Engineering is in charge of the demolition work.
Demolition with implosion technique
The demolition would be done through a controlled implosion technique for which over 3,700 kg of explosive will be used. It will leave behind 55,000 tonne of debris to be managed. It will take nine to 10 seconds for all the explosives to blast in a series making a loud noise. After the blasts, the structures won’t come down all at once and would take four to five seconds to come down completely.
Implosion is a technique in which objects are destroyed by collapsing on themselves. It is used when you want the structure to collapse inwards and onto itself. While it requires explosives and detonators, it’s not simply just setting the charge and punching the detonator triggering a blast. The technique includes strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimising the physical damage to its immediate surroundings.
The explosives used for demolition include detonators, emulsions and shock tubes, which have explosion material in gel or powdered form. These explosives are not very strong but when used in large quantities, they are able to break concrete. These explosives are sold in a regulated manner and strictly after permission from various government agencies.
The tower has 11 primary blast floors — where all columns on the floor will have explosives fixed and blasted — and seven secondary floors — where 60 percent of the columns will be blasted
Why Noida’s Supertech Twin Tower is being demolished?
The illegal towers are being demolished on orders of the Supreme Court, which found a violation of norms in the construction of the buildings. The Supreme Court ordered the demolition of Supertech’s twin residential towers built in Noida after holding that the project was executed in violation of laws and involved an “unholy nexus” with the Noida Authority. The court held that the construction violated the minimum distance requirement and had been built illegally without taking the consent of the individual flat owners as required under the UP Apartment Act.
In June 2006, additional land was allotted to Supertech. After revised regulations in December 2006, a new and revised plan was sanctioned, which included the construction of two additional floors for the towers, two more towers and a shopping complex. The officials approved 16 towers, and a shopping complex. By 2009, 14 towers were constructed.
According to the 140-page order of the court, “the sanction given by NOIDA on 26 November 2009 and 2 March 2012 for the construction of T-16 and T-17 is violative of the minimum distance requirement under the NBR 2006, NBR 2010 and NBC 2005.
The apex court also observed that the construction of T-16 and T-17 violated the UP Apartment Act, as the owners did not take the consent of flat owners, which was mandatory under the said act. The construction of these twin towers led to a reduction in the common area. The order also added, “the case has revealed nefarious complicity of the planning authority in the violation by the developer of the provisions of law.
On August 31, 2021, the apex court ordered the demolition of these towers under construction within three months. However, the demolition has been delayed for over a year. In February 2022, NOIDA authorities informed the court that the work for the demolition has commenced and was likely to be finished by May 22. However, on May 17, the court once again extended the deadline to August 28.
The apex court directed that the entire amount of home buyers be refunded with 12% interest from the time of the booking and the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) of the Emerald Court project be paid ₹2 crore for the harassment caused due to the construction of the twin towers, which would have blocked sunlight and fresh air to the existing residents of the housing project.
Precautions being taken before demolition;
The residents’ group of the two adjoining societies – Emerald Court and ATS Villages – along with representatives of demolition firm Edifice Engineering, Noida Police, fire department, among others held a meeting to finalise the demolition plan. Already, authorities are inspecting the area of demolition and checking on preparations. A task force group is also prepping nearby residents for the demolition.
The demolition plan;
- Buildings are set to be brought down at 2:30 pm on August 28,
- Over 3,700 kgs of explosives will be used to raze the Noida twin towers, while residents will vacate the area by 7 am on the day
- 9,400 holes were drilled in the columns and shears of the skeletal structures of the twin towers to bring it crashing down
- For the protection of Emerald Court and ATS Village, both societies will also have geo-textile covering.
- About 225 tonnes of wired mesh made of galvanised iron and geo-textile in 110-km length would be used in the entire process.
- The charged columns are wrapped in wired mesh and geo-textile cloth to prevent debris from flying and damaging nearby building
- More than 5,000 residents will vacate Emerald Court and ATS Village societies and over 2,500 vehicles will be removed from there on August 28
- There are approximately 650 flats in Emerald Court and 450 flats in ATS Village. Both societies have a combined number of residents over 5,000 who will be required to move out as per schedule
- The Noida Authority will provide space for them in the multilevel parking facility at Botanical Garden metro station
Safety mitigation plans;
Precautions have been planned to mitigate all kinds of risks and cater to any vulnerability.
- Emergency services such as fire tenders and ambulances will be parked on the road behind the park in front of the twin towers during the demolition process.
- Trenches are being dug at the perimeter to prevent any damage to the nearby building through the shock wave of the explosion.
- Containers are also being placed between the twin towers and the nearby buildings for extra safety.
- Installation of nets, cloth and perimeter curtains to provide three layers of safety from the dust and debris to the nearby building
- The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, which is close to the twin towers, will remain shut for vehicular movement from 2.15 pm to 2.45 pm on August 28
- Entry of people, vehicles and animals will be restricted in the proximity area – known as an exclusion zone
Aftermath of demolition
Post-demolition 35,000 cubic metres of rubble is expected to be left, a Noida Authority official said. “Of this, 6,000 to 7,000 cubic metres would gather in the basement of twin towers,
The plan for debris management was yet to be finalised as the regional pollution control board was examining the proposal sent by Edifice Engineering. The plan is expected to be finalised in a day or two.
Supertech is paying around Rs 4.5-5.5 crore for the demolition and the rest of the amount, Rs 14.5-15.5 crore is expected to be made by selling off the debris.
‘No fly zone’ for drones in Noida on August 28
Drones will not be allowed to fly in the “exclusion zone” of Supertech’s illegal twin towers when they will be demolished on August 28. Officials also said that drones will be allowed beyond the exclusion zone only on the basis of permission by the police. The exclusion zone will include an area of 450 metres in front side of the twin towers overseeing a road and a city park. On the other sides of the towers, the exclusion zone will be till 250 metres. The exclusion zone also includes a patch of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The vehicular traffic would remain halted on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway from 2.15 pm to 2.45 pm on August 28.
Supertech has also written to Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting them to take precautionary measures with regards to security of aeroplanes that may cross the area on the day. The Gautam Budh Nagar police will also write to Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) intimating them about the demolition. “As a precautionary measure, BCAS will be requested to make the exclusion zone a ‘No Fly Zone’ as no official orders have been passed for the same yet.
Follow this space for more updates, as we advance to Demolition D-Day.
