Supertech's twin towers in Noida were safely demolished on Sunday. The demolition came in pursuance of a Supreme Court order of 31 August 2021 which found that the nearly 100-metre-tall structures had come up in the premises of Emerald Court housing society in violation of building norms.
The proposed premium residential twin towers with space for commercial activities were built by real estate developer Supertech Group after approvals from the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA), popularly referred to as the Noida Authority, which was constituted under the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Act, and functions under the state government.
A timeline of key events related to the twin towers demolition:
2004: Supertech gets land allotted for developing a group housing project by Noida Authority in the city's Sector 93A after which work started on the 'Emerald Court' society.
2005: Building plan for the Emerald Court approved by the Noida Authority. Permission to construct 14 residential towers of 10 floors each.
2006: Supertech seeks more land for the project and gets the approval from the Noida Authority. The building plan amended to accommodate one more residential tower – total 15 now, Aster 1-8, Aspire 1-4, and Emperor 1-3.
2009: The developer gets the building plan revised once again. Adds two more towers – Apex and Ceyane – with 24 floors each and immediately begins construction. Some residents object to it, citing violation of building norms. Just about 40-50 residents were living in Emerald Court at the time.
2012: The developer revised the building plan to increase the number of floors to 40 in Apex and Ceyane as construction continued in full swing.
December 2012: Emerald Court residents' association moves the Allahabad High Court citing the lack of residents' consent for building new towers within the same housing complex, violation of rules like minimum 16 metre distance between buildings, and the new construction coming up in the area marked for green space.
2014: The Allahabad High Court orders the demolition of the twin towers. The court pulls up the Noida Authority for collusion with the developer. The construction work stops at the site.
May 2014: Supertech moves the Supreme Court seeking relief and states that all the approvals were taken.
31 August 2021: The Supreme Court orders the demolition within three months, observing violation of building norms in collusion with local officials. The court remarks that illegal construction has to be dealt with strictly to ensure compliance with the rule of law.
February 2022: The Noida Authority informs the Supreme Court that the demolition will take place on 22 May.
17 May 2022: The Supreme Court extends the demolition deadline to 28 August.
28 August 2022: The twin towers stand demolished. The Emerald Court housing complex developed by Supertech with 15 towers has around 650 flats. If permitted, the demolished Apex and Ceyane towers would have added 915 more flats and 21 shops within the same housing complex, and that too in violation of building norms.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)