This article on ‘Twin Tower Demolition Case: All you need to know‘ was written by Ankita Kumari, an intern at Legal Upanishad.
After a nine-year court fight, the twin towers, which were taller than Delhi’s famous Qutub Minar, were brought down with 3,700 kg of explosives in just nine seconds using the waterfall implosion technique. On 28 August 2022, at 2:30 Pm, the structures fell like a house of cards.
The Emerald Court society’s building on its property was found to violate the law, and the Supreme Court subsequently ordered its demolition. The company will take down the structures at its own expense in addition to the help of the Noida Authority.
This article will provide you with, the case of twin tower demolition, what was the history behind it, and how such huge towers get demolished.
All about the Twin Towers:
The Noida Supertech Twin Towers, also known as the Apex Tower and Ceyane Tower, were unfinished residential structures in Sector-93A, Noida, and Uttar Pradesh, India. The buildings were a component of the Emerald Court housing development owned by the real estate firm Supertech Limited.
Each was supposed to have 40 floors. The two buildings were of various heights. With 32 floors and a height of 103 meters (338 ft.), Apex towered over Ceyane, which had 29 floors and a height of 97 meters (318 ft.). It was an illegal construction, as it violated the minimum distance requirement. It was built on the green area of their multi-floor housing society called Emerald Court.
Supertech is a construction company whose owner and managing director is R.K Arora. He constructed two residential complexes in twin towers in Noida’s Sector 93A.[1]
The history behind Twin Tower Demolition Case:
In the Midway of the 2000s, the Noida-based development firm Supertech Limited started construction on the Emerald Court project. Three, four, and five-bedroom flats were to be built as part of the project.
The location of the Twin Towers was very attractive. The expressway connecting Noida and Greater Noida was not far from the building site. According to real estate websites, the apartment’s worth, was between Rs. 1 crore and Rs. 3 crore. The project’s drawings, which included plans for 14 nine-story buildings, were provided by the Noida-based New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida Twin Tower).[2]
In 2012, the plan was changed by Supertech Limited, which led to the matter of legal dispute. It was decided by Supertech Limited that the complex of 14 nine-story buildings, will now be constructed as the complex of 15 eleven-story buildings. Additionally, two additional towers with a combined height of 40 floors, (which was earlier of 24 floors) were incorporated into the revised proposal. In the ten-year legal dispute between the residents and Supertech, the latter two became its focal point.
In front of Tower One, Supertech had pledged to have a “green” space. This was in the plan that was initially changed in June 2005, according to the court records presented up until December 2006. The ‘green’ region later became the foundation for Ceyane and Apex and this became the center of the controversy.
The Legal Dispute of Twin Towers:
Emerald Court residents took notice of this and asked that Ceyane and Apex, the twin buildings, be removed because they were being built illegally. Residents petitioned the Noida Authority to revoke the building permits for Ceyane and Apex.
The residents subsequently filed an appeal with the Allahabad High Court, requesting that the towers be demolished. The residents argued that to increase their profit margins, the construction company, Supertech Limited has violated the standards. The occupants of the Emerald Court were granted their requests by the Allahabad High Court. The demolition of the Noida Twin Towers was ordered by the Allahabad High Court, in April 2014. Supertech, on the other hand, filed an appeal against the ruling, and the case was heard by the Supreme Court of India.[3]
The Supreme Court found that the builder breached building codes while working with Noida officials.
After extensive debate on both sides, the Supreme Court of India ordered the removal of the Noida Twin Towers in 2021, citing the towers’ illegal construction. Following this, Supertech petitioned the Supreme Court to review its order. This was followed by numerous hearings with the Supreme Court. The sessions also addressed concerns regarding the safety of Emerald Court residents. As a result of the decision, the demolition date was repeatedly pushed back. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, refused to deviate from its position on the subject.
Supreme Court Verdict on Twin Tower Demolition Case:
According to the Supreme Court, the Noida Authority and Supertech engaged in “nefarious collaboration,” and the business was ordered to demolish the buildings at its own expense under the supervision of the Noida Authority.
On August 31, 2021, the Supreme Court ordered that the 32-story towers be demolished owing to violations, and impacted homeowners who invested in flats in the under-construction project were given a complete refund plus 12% interest.[4]
How the Twin Tower demolition took place:
After the Supreme Court of India announced its verdict in 2021 and declared the construction illegal, the date 28 August 2022 was decided to demolish the twin towers.
The surrounding 500-meter radius was marked as an exclusion zone, with no humans or animals, only the members of the demolition crew were allowed. Aside from that, the police, a National Disaster Response Force team, eight ambulances, and four fire tenders get stationed at the location.
Edifice Engineering, a Mumbai-based firm that previously demolished four illegal apartments near Kochi in Kerala, handled the job. Twin Towers were brought down in nine seconds with 3,700 kg of explosives utilizing the waterfall implosion technique.
The demolition was carried out under 100 crore insurance coverage. This should cover any damage to neighboring buildings. Supertech must bear the premium and other fees. While the demolition project could cost up to 20 crores, the loss of the towers, even if they were a skeleton, is projected to be more than 50 crores.[5]
The next hurdle for Noida officials will be to clean up the mass of rubbish left over from the demolition, which may take three months as per the reports.
Conclusion:
The Supertech twin towers in Noida, which were taller than the Qutub Minar, were demolished on 28 August 2022 at 2:30 p.m., nine years after homeowners filed a lawsuit alleging violations of building codes. They were destroyed with 3,700 kg of explosives.
The construction company, Supertech Limited carried out the demolition at its own cost, and homeowners who invested their money in the flat will get their refund with 12% interest, as ordered by the e Supreme Court of India. The twin towers are being demolished due to major violations of building codes committed by the Noida Authority and Supertech.
References
[1] DNA Web Desk. (30 August, 2022). (Who is RK Arora, owner of Noida Supertech Twin Towers?). Retrieved:
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-who-is-rk-arora-owner-of-noida-supertech-twin-towers-2980915
[2] Madhavi Gaur. (31 August, 2022). (Noida Twin Tower Demolition: Case History, Court Judgement, Pollution). Retrieved: https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/noida-twin-tower-demolition-case-history-court-judgement-pollution/
[3]Sayantani Biswas. (28 August, 2022). (‘Story of Noida twin towers’: What led to demolition of Supertech buildings). Retrieved: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/story-of-noida-twin-towers-what-led-to-demolition-of-supertech-building-11661591676634.html
[4] India news. (26 August, 2022). (Supreme Court seeks timeline from Supertech to refund homebuyers). Retrieved: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/supreme-court-seeks-timeline-from-supertech-to-refund-homebuyers-101661537762900.html
[5] NDTV News Desk. (28 August, 2022). (Noida Twin Tower Demolition Highlights: Noida Twin Tower Demolition Went As Planned, Say Officials). Retrieved: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/noida-supertech-twin-towers-demolition-live-updates-noida-towers-demolition-apex-tower-ceyane-tower-3293137