BackNoida twin tower demolition: What will be the impact on environment and on residents living nearby
Supertech's Apex and Ceyane towers are slated to be demolished in pursuance of a Supreme Court order that found their construction within Emerald Court premises in violation of the norms.
PremiumSupertech's illegal twin towers which are taller than Qutub Minar will be demolished on Sunday i.e. 28 August. The Residents Welfare Association (RWA) has finished all necessary preparations in order to carry out the scheduled demolition. Chetan Dutta, the Indian blaster will press the button and will demolish the Noida's twin towers in nine seconds at at 2:30 pm.
Noida Supertech Twin Towers Demolition LIVE Updates
Supertech's Apex and Ceyane towers are slated to be demolished in pursuance of a Supreme Court order that found their construction within Emerald Court premises in violation of the norms.
Also Read: Noida Twin Towers timeline: Rise and fall of Supertech's ambitious project
An exclusion zone will be created at a radius of up to 500 metres around the twin towers where no human or animal will be allowed, except for a team of Indian and foreign blasters engaged in the demolition of the nearly 100-metre-tall structures.
Also Read: Explained: Why are Noida twin towers being demolished
With just a day ahead of the demolition, here's a list of impact on the environment, residents living nearby and buildings.
Over 3,700 kg of explosives would be used to demolish the twin towers leaving behind 80,000 tonnes of debris and a cloud of dust. Steel and concrete will be separated from the rubble on the spot. About 50,000 tonnes of debris will be accommodated in the twin towers' two basements. The remaining 30,000 tonnes of debris will be processed scientifically and converted into tiles. According to the plan, the entire process of disposal of debris will be completed in next three months.
BJP MLA Rajeshwar Singh on Friday wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raising concerns about the possible environmental impact of the demolition. In a letter, Singh appealed to the CM to ensure that the hazardous materials and chemicals being used for the demolition purposes do not in any way seep into the underground water resources and pollute the same as a large number of people in the neighbouring area relies on the underground water to meet its daily needs.
After which, CM reviewed the preparations for demolition and also directed to take care of the environmental challenges in view of the demolition. Adityanath said people’s safety should be ensured at all cost and also directed to take care of the environmental challenges in view of the demolition.
To clear the dust generated after the destruction, water tankers, sprinklers, and smog guns will be used. Sweeping machines will clean the dust settled on the road after the demolition.
Joe Brinkmann, managing director of Jet Demolition (Pty) Ltd told WSJ that the explosives have been placed in around 9,600 holes drilled into the columns of the towers, and these will be detonated sequentially with a gap of milliseconds. He further explained that if all the explosives were to be ignited simultaneously, the towers would fall straight down, which would pose greater risks for adjacent buildings, as well as a nearby gas pipeline. “We want these buildings to twist and to turn and to fall the way we want to," he said told WSJ.
Also Read: Noida Twin Towers demolition: Preparations and checklist for nearby residents
Uttkarsh Mehta, a partner at Edifice Engineering told WSJ that the tower will be covered with thick synthetic sheets to limit flying debris.
As per some environmental activists also raised concern about the air pollution in Noida and Delhi. Both Noida and Delhi have been among the polluted cities. With the dust that will generate due to the demolition, pollution levels in these areas will rise. Vikrant Tongad who is an environmental conservationist in Noida told WSJ that the dust will not be the cause on day one but also for weeks thereafter due to loading and unloading of debris on the trucks. As per 26 August, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the air quality index of Noida and Delhi was 111 and 113 respectively which comes in the Moderate category.
Felix Hospital in Noida has reserved 50 beds on the day of demolition in case of any emergency. "There is a likelihood of huge dust from demolition causing health-related issues from seven to 90 days among the nearby residents," Felix Hospital director Dr D K Gupta said.
Some residents residing at neighboring buildings of the twin towers have raised concern that explosion will crack their glass windowpanes and even cause structural issues to their buildings. Nupur Gupta, who lives less than 30 feet away from the site told WSJ that when mini test explosions were done on the towers, it felt like little earthquakes. "She has purchased special insurance for one day to partially cover the cost of any damage, Ms. Gupta said. British firm Vibrock Limited also ran a vibration analysis at the behest of Edifice recently. The analysis claimed that only minor damage, if any, will take place in neighboring buildings during or after the demolition. As per the analysis, a few windowpanes could crack due to air overpressure—the pressure caused by a shock wave over and above normal atmospheric pressure.
Apart from the environment and damage concerns, there are also concerns about the health hazard of the residents living nearby. As per the HindustanTimes report, Senior pulmonologist Dr Ashish Jain had asked the residents to clean the dust which enters the house with mop or vacuum.
Due to health hazard, several people living in buildings close to towers have decided to go for vacation while many will be putting up at hotels on Sunday
Gaurav Saxena, who lives a few metres away from the twin towers, is going on vacation to Nainital with his family for three days as his mother is an asthma patient. Talking about precautions he has taken, Saxena said he has covered his entire balcony with polythene to prevent the entry of dust.
Monica, who flat is in Aster 5 tower said she has booked a hotel room. Monica said that she is confident that the demolition process will be conducted smoothly as so many agencies are involved, however, she is worried about health problems that may take place due to dust.
"It is very easy to develop lung problems. The dust that will be released from the demolition will enter our lungs and might cause several issues. I hope it settles down easy," she added.
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