With only two days left for demolition, the Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari on Thursday said that the final review of preparations for demolition of Supertech's illegal twin towers has been done and they will be razed as per schedule on August 28 at 2.30 PM.
Maheshwari along with other concerned officials had visited Emerald Court and a meeting was held with all stakeholders including local residents' groups and other agencies concerned. “The meeting was to get an overview of the preparations, technical aspects of demolition and compliances left to be completed for the safe demolition of the towers,” said Maheshwari.
The Noida Authority, which functions under the Uttar Pradesh government, is overseeing the demolition of the nearly 100-metre-tall structures in Sector 93A of the city.
Speaking to reporters outside the twin towers, Maheshwari said the twin towers would be demolished at 2.30 pm on August 28 in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the officials of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), the Supreme Court-appointed technical expert, also attended the review meeting and said there will be no delay in the demolition. "We wanted the residents to be satisfied with the preparations. They said they are non-technical people but are more than satisfied by the preparations," CBRI's scientist D P Kanungo said.
Kanungo said that the CBRI is also satisfied with the planning and preparations done by demolition firm Edifice Engineering and its expert South African partner Jet Demolitions.
"There will be no delay and the demolition will take place at 2.30 pm on August 28," he added.Apex and Ceyane towers, developed by builder Supertech in Noida, will be demolished in pursuance of a Supreme Court order that found the structures built in premises of Emerald Court society in violation of norms.
Ahead of the demolition of the twin towers in Noida on Sunday, Supertech had also written to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting them to take precautionary measures with regards to the security of airplanes that may cross the area on the day.
A no-fly zone has also been imposed for around half an hour, from 15 minutes before the blast to until the dust settles. The Noida Traffic Police said that traffic will be stopped at both ends of the Yamuna Expressway for at least half an hour and movement is likely to resume only after the dust from the demolished buildings is settled.
According to officials overseeing evacuation preparations, around 7,000 residents of the nearby societies including Emerald Court and ATS Village in Sector 93A, along with more than 150 pets, will have to vacate their homes by 7 A.M. while the security staff of these societies will also be moved out latest by 12 P.M. on Sunday.Around 2,700 vehicles from both the societies will also be removed. The residents would be allowed to return after 4 P.M. only after safety clearance from officials.