As Supertech twin towers head for demolition, residents nearby worry about being in the blast radius

The demolition of Supertech's illegal 40-storey twin towers in Noida is scheduled for August 28. However, as the date for demolition draws close, anxiety amongst residents of Emerald Court and those living in the vicinity is palpable. Residents have not been presented with a foolproof plan for the safe bulldozing of the 103-metre tall buildings.

UBS Teotia, President of RWA at Supertech Emerald Court, said, “The judgment has come after 10 years. First the judgment came from Allahabad High Court, then it took 7 to 8 years in Supreme Court. The main reason of delay was that Supreme Court ensured that customers who had booked their flats in these twin towers should be paid their money back. As regards the demolition of the twin towers, the builder is not cooperating. The Noida Authority is issuing the orders and they are trying to press them but the builder is not listening to them.”

The anxiety is real as the nearest building is just 8 metres away, while Edifice Engineering, the company handling the job says that the implosion will be done with explosives between 2,500 kg and 4,000kg. The building will fall inwards in multiple stages, floor by floor. Ten levels will act as primary blast floors and seven as secondary blast floors. The primary blast floors will have explosives in all columns. In the secondary floors, explosives will be in 40 percent of the columns. But the residents are not convinced and fear that the blast could impact the structural integrity of their homes.