Noida’s super-tech twin towers become history, lessons learned from being razed to the ground, learn more

Noida: Supertech Twin Towers demolished today. Noida’s Supertech Twin Towers, taller than Qutub Minar, were razed to the ground at 2:30 pm today, nine years after residents approached the court alleging violations of norms. 3,700 kg of explosives were used in the demolition.

The demolition of the Emerald Court project in Noida has cost the developer Supertech around Rs 1,000 crore. It also cost nearly Rs 20 crore to demolish the building. So, why were these buildings demolished?

The twin towers, Apex and Ceyane, are located in Sector 93A, Noida. One of the buildings is 103 metres tall and the other is about 97 metres tall. For demolition, around 3,700 kg of explosives were brought in from Palwal, Haryana. The explosives are a mixture of dynamite, emulsion and plastic explosives.

The ‘Supertech Emerald Court’ residential complex, where the two buildings are located, is located in Noida and was originally planned to be constructed in 2004. The Noida government allotted a plot of 48,263 square metres, which was part of plot number 4 in Sector 93A.

In 2005, the Noida Municipal Corporation approved the construction plan of Emerald Court, which consists of 14 towers, each with ground floor and nine floors (G+9). The construction of these 14 towers has begun.

In June 2006, the company’s total approved rental area increased to 54,819.51 square meters. According to regulations, the plot ratio of newly approved tenants after 2006 was also increased from 1.5 times to 2 times.

In December 2006, Noida approved the first revised plan of Emerald Court under NBR 2006, which added two floors, making all floors up to ground and 11th floor (G+11). Other buildings — Tower 15, Tower 16 and a shopping mall — were also approved.

In 2012, the Noida authorities reviewed the new plan and set the height of the twin towers at 40 floors.

In August 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of the structures as they were constructed in violation of the minimum distance requirement. The court said the structures were constructed illegally without the consent of individual apartment owners as required by the Uttar Pradesh Apartment Act.

The apex court also said that there was a “conspiracy and conspiracy” between Supertech and the Noida Authority. Subsequently, the court ordered Supertech to demolish the buildings at its own cost under the direction of the Noida Authority.

In 2014, the court ordered the authorities to demolish the structures at their own expense within four months.

The Supreme Court’s decision came after a petition was filed by many homebuyers.

The building was originally scheduled to be demolished in May, but was postponed to August 21. Recently, the Supreme Court extended the demolition deadline to August 28 due to technical problems and weather reasons. The maximum demolition period is 7 days, until September 4.

Meanwhile, experts say the demolition of the Supertech twin towers in Noida may cause eye irritation, dust allergies, persistent coughing and other symptoms to nearby residents, especially those with pre-existing health problems.

Dense dust and debris can cause health problems for residents because it contains very fine particles of debris that can be easily inhaled.

Angshuman Mukherjee, a pulmonologist at Fortis Hospital, said the blast would lead to both immediate and delayed health complications.

“The immediate impacts of demolition are eye problems, coughing, sneezing and dust allergies. Those who already have lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may experience flare-ups due to demolition.”

Mukherjee said fine particles, including cement dust, could even cause health problems for people traveling through the area in the next day or two. “Right now, the best option is heavy rain.”

Other experts think it may trigger an immune response.

“This allergic reaction can be normal or severe, depending on the individual. Construction dust can also be a vector for viruses and infections,” said Dr Navneet Sood, a pulmonologist at Delhi’s Dharamshila Narayana Super Speciality Hospital.