Twin Towers demolition: Residents skeptical about safety measures; experts assure of utmost caution
India Today
Over 1500 families, who live in the nearby flats of the Supertech Twin Towers, are nervous and full of fear ahead of its proposed demolition.
Over 1500 families, who live in the nearby flats of the Supertech Twin Towers, are nervous and full of fear ahead of its proposed demolition.
Illegally constructed, the 40-storey Twin Towers are set to be demolished on August 21. While many fear damage to their flats due to the blast, the demolition company has assured that there would be no damage to any nearby structure.
The Supreme Court had ordered demolition of the Twin Towers after it was found constructed illegally. These towers are dangerously close to the nearby buildings, hence the demolition company is taking all possible precautions before executing the order. The entire locality will be evacuated as a precaution during the demolition through explosives.
“The safety measures have not been completed so far. We had requested a structural audit of four towers that are falling into the crucial zone during the proposed demolition from Noida authority but it has not been done yet. We had initiated audit of some of the columns, which were not found up to the mark. We have informed Noida authority and demanded an audit and repair job,” said Udaybhan Singh Tewatia, president, RWA Supertech Emerald Court.
“The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) will have to assess any possible damage to the buildings due to the demolition. The company tasked to demolish the Twin Tower says there is nothing to worry about but in reality, the people are scared due to trust issues. IIT Delhi had conducted an audit in year 2015 and had found discrepancies in the structure,” Tewatia added.
Twin Towers will be the tallest Indian construction to be ever razed through controlled explosion. The demolition has been tasked to Edifice engineering, who are partnering with Zed Demolition, a South African firm. The duo had earlier successfully demolished three 18-storied buildings at Kochi using controlled explosion.
“We have had a series of meetings with the nearby residents and they are satisfied with the safety measures we are taking. We have installed net, cloth and perimeter curtains to provide three layers of safety from the dust and debris to the nearby buildings. Any debris will be arrested by the three layers. Any stray debris will be caught by the geo textiles being installed between the buildings,” said Uktarsh Mehta, partner with Edifice Engineering.