Even a world cup cricket final between India and Pakistan may not have had so many viewers, as India was glued to the TV sets, watching the coming down of the two 32-storied towers in Noida today as the clock struck 2.30 pm, in a clocklike precision. A South African expert led the demolishing team. It involved 3700 kgs of explosives, set off in a scientific and carefully calibrated precision so that the tower came down like a waterfall without causing harm to nearby buildings. The nearest building was barely 9 meters away.
The project began in 2000 with fourteen high-rises of 9-storied towers, soon and clandestinely modified to fifteen towers, each 11-storied. The builders converted a green area within the project to rise another two towers, Ceyane and Apex, to have 40 floors each. The residents took the builder to court on the violations done in connivance with the Noida authorities.
After Noida authorities failed to redress, the residents moved the Allahabad High court, which ordered the demolition of the twin towers in 2014, against which Supertech appealed in the Supreme Court. The SC confirmed the Allahabad High Court’s order of demolition in 2021. The builders employed usual tricks for a review and recall, involving top lawyers, who would do anything for their fees. Supreme Court ordered Supertech to demolish the towers at their own expense under the guidance of Noida authorities.
Thus came Edifice Engineering, a Mumbai-based company with previous demolition experience in Kerala. A ground-up demolition was thus triggered in a synchronised manner within a span of 9 seconds to bring down the towers to the rubble of 80000 tonnes.
Such illegal constructions are a blot on our country. The construction lobby leads to corruption and bribery and wantonly deviate from the plans, later settling with the corporations and the municipalities. The orgy of black money makes realty a blue-eyed industry, which many politicians in Benami own. Earlier attempts to demolish such illegal construction in Mumbai had become an emotional issue, the judiciary succumbing to the plight of those who had put their life’s savings into buying the flats or taking huge loans to procure the flats.
Today’s demolition signals intolerance against corruption, increased public activism against the corrupt and a visible meting out of justice. Kudos to all those who have made it happen.
I am sure every corrupt builder will be doubly careful to follow the norms and not bulldoze their way merely because of their ‘alliance’ with the politicians, babus and the police. I would differ with those few who were shedding crocodile tears that the towers could have been put to alternative and productive use for the benefit of society. The message against corruption must be loud and clear, and we did it within 9 seconds.
Jai Hind!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
