Noida Twin Towers Demolition On August 28, Supreme Court Extends Deadline

The two twin towers of the bankrupt builder Supertech in Noida will be demolished on August 28. The Supreme Court has given the go-ahead to the Noida Authority to raze the two towers by September 4.

Here’s your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:

1. A day after the Supreme Court-appointed technical expert gave approval for the rigging of Supertech’s twin towers with explosives, the top court extended the date of the demolition to August 28.
2. It was supposed to start on August 21 but the court accepted the Noida Authority’s request for an extension.
3. A 7-day buffer — from August 29 to September 4 — was also given “in case of any technical glitches or weather-related problems”.
4. The nod of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) was the last approval needed for the charging — rigging of explosives inside the structures — of the twin towers located in Sector 93B in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida.
5. “The CBRI was satisfied with the responses related to safety measures after Edifice and Supertech agreed to have the structural audit of nearby buildings done before demolition of the twin towers.
6. The nearly 100-metre tall illegal structures were scheduled for demolition at 2.30 pm on August 21.
7. 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, officials told news agency PTI.
8. More than 3,500 kg of explosives 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.
9. The Supreme Court had earlier this month rejected a public interest litigation against the order to demolish the Supertech twin towers and imposed a fine of ₹ 5 lakh on the petitioner. It directed that the amount be used for the welfare of families of lawyers who died of Covid. The petition was filed by an organisation called the Centre for Law and Good Governance.
10. The Supreme Court on August 31 last year directed the demolition of the 40-storey twin towers built by real estate major Supertech over the violation of construction by-laws. The towers were to house over 900 flats and 21 shops.