Supertech Case: Noida Twin Towers To Be Demolished on 28 Aug as SC Extends Date

The Supreme Court granted an additional time of one week for the demolition of Supertech’s twin 40-storey towers.

The Supreme Court on Friday, 12 August, granted an additional time of one week for demolition of Supertech’s twin 40-storey towers in its Emerald project in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, fixing the date for 28 August.

Photo Credit: The Quint

The Supreme Court on Friday, 12 August, granted an additional time of one week for demolition of Supertech’s twin 40-storey towers in its Emerald project in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, fixing the date for 28 August.

The order came in response to a plea filed by the NOIDA Authority, seeking extension of the demolition date to 28 August from 21 August, on account of technical delay and delay due to weather conditions, as per LiveLaw.

The top court has asked the authorities to finish the job in seven days, by 4 September.

This comes a day after a Supreme Court-appointed technical expert on Thursday gave approval for rigging of explosives to raze the two buildings.

The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI)'s green light was the last approval needed for the charging – rigging of explosives inside the structures – of the twin towers located in Sector 93B.

The proposal has been made in view of the reports of all stakeholders, including the Noida Authority, CBRI, developer Supertech, demolition firm Edifice Engineering and its South African partner Jet Demolition, on safety measures for the job, the official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram tweeted, "In my view breaking the structure will be a pointless exercise with no utility value. Penalty & alternative uses should be explored."

The Demolition

The Supreme Court had on 31 August last year ordered the demolition of the nearly 100-metre tall twin towers which had come up in violation of building bye-laws inside Supertech's Emerald Court group housing society.

The towers were earlier scheduled for demolition on 22 May and test blasts were held on 10 April at the site by Edifice Engineering, which has further roped in South African firm Jet Demolitions for the work owing to its expertise in the job.

More than 3,500 kg of explosive will be filled in around 9,400 holes drilled in the columns and shears of the skeletal structures of the twin towers, according to officials.