The supertech twin towers of Noida were demolished on Sunday after much anticipation and a nine-year legal battle. The Cayenne (29 floors) and Apex (32 floors) towers, which are part of Supertech Ltd’s Emerald Court project, were found to be in violation of multiple construction regulations and were demolished.

The towers, which consist of approximately 850 flats and are located in Sector 93A near the Noida-Greater Noida expressway, are nearly 100 metres tall—taller than the Qutub Minar. Earlier this week, preparations were in full swing, from charging the buildings to clearing the area.

The surrounding 500-metre radius has been designated as an exclusion zone, with no human or animal allowed except for members of the demolition team. Aside from that, the police, a National Disaster Response Force team, eight ambulances, and four fire tenders were on the scene.

Why were the supertech twin towers in Noida demolished?

The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) approved Supertech’s plan to construct 14 towers, a shopping complex, and a garden area in 2005. However, in 2009, it revised its project to include twin high-rise buildings, Apex and Ceyane. Despite NOIDA approval, the Emerald Court Owners Residents Welfare Association (RWA) filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court in 2012, alleging illegal construction.

The towers were declared illegal by the Allahabad High Court in 2014, and they were ordered demolished. The Noida Authority and Supertech filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, challenging the order. On August 31, 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the Allahabad High Court’s decision and ordered the buildings to be demolished.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Twin Towers’ construction violated the minimum distance requirement. It claimed that the towers were constructed in violation of building codes and fire safety standards.

While ordering the demolition of the illegally constructed towers in August 2021, the Supreme Court stated that it was built through “acts of collusion between the officers of NOIDA and the company,” and sanctioned the prosecution of officials for violations of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Area Development Act, 1976, and the Uttar Pradesh Apartments Act, 2010.

Despite the fact that the court ordered the demolition within three months, multiple delays resulted in the final date being set for August 28.

The demolition of twin towers

The high-tech towers were destroyed using a ‘controlled implosion.’ Numerous explosives placed within the structure caused the structure to collapse.

The technique was first used in 1773, when 68.04 kg of explosives were used to raze the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Waterford, Ireland. The same method can be used to demolish bridges, towers, tunnels, and other structures.

The preparation to place the chemicals is one of the most time-consuming processes in a controlled implosion. According to Utkarsh Mehta, CEO of Edifice Engineering, the preparation for this demolition took nearly seven months, including one month of planning and six months of on-site preparations.

Two towers have been infused with approximately 3,700 kg of explosives. The event, which lasted about 13 seconds, produced approximately 80,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste, of which 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes will be used to fill the site and the remainder will be processed at a construction and demolition plant.

The demolition cost around Rs 500 crore.a

Supertech Ltd suffered a loss of approximately Rs 500 crore, which included construction and interest costs. The company’s chairman, RK Arora, stated, “Our overall loss is around Rs 500 crore, taking into account the amount we have spent on land and construction costs, the charges paid to authorities for various approvals, interest paid to banks over the years, and 12 percent interest paid back to buyers of these two towers, among other costs.”

He also stated that Supertech paid Rs 17.5 crore to Edifice Engineering, which was tasked with safely removing the structures, as well as the premium for a Rs 100 crore insurance cover. There were also several other costs associated with the demolition.

Separately, Supertech stated in a statement that the demolition would have no effect on its other projects, saying, “We have completed and delivered more than 70,000 units to homebuyers and are committed to delivering remaining homebuyers within the schedule time frame.”” “”We assure all of our home buyers that the Supreme Court’s order will have no effect on any other ongoing project, and all other projects will continue,” it added.