Edifice engineering, which carried out the demolition of developer Supertech’s twin towers in Noida’s sector 93A and is overseeing the debris removal process, is confident of meeting the April 15 deadline to clear the site.
“We are well within the deadline of April 15. The debris that has to be sent to the recycling plant has been removed from the demolition site and the remainder will be used to fill the dug up portion of the basement. Work related to breaking the basement raft is going on,” an official at Edifice Engineering told Moneycontrol.
The Noida Authority has set April 15 as the deadline to finish the debris removal work. Sources said that the Authority is unlikely to extend the deadline.
Construction of a pathway that was broken during the demolition, connecting towers Aster 2 and 3 in the nearby Supertech Emerald Court society, has also begun.
The work had resumed on March 1 after remaining suspended for nearly two months. Residents of the neighbourhood had complained about the high level of noise pollution due to digging and debris removal at the demolition site, following which work at the site was suspended for nearly two months. The work was halted in January 2023.
Also read: Noida twin towers demolition: After nearly 2 months, removal of debris resumes
The Edifice Engineering official said the debris had been piled up on one side of the premises and would be used to level up the basement.
He said that as many as five machines have been engaged to dig and remove the debris so that the work is finished within the given timeframe.
On August 28 last year, the nearly 100-metre-high structures, which were taller than the Qutub Minar (73 metres), were demolished within seconds using the ‘waterfall implosion’ technique, following an SC order to raze the illegal construction.
The demolition of the two towers left behind an estimated 80,000 tonnes of debris. Under the plan, around 50,000 tonnes of debris was to be used to fill the pit where the towers stood, while the remaining 30,000 tonnes is to be transported to Noida’s C&D waste management plant in Sector 80.
Residents counting the days
Residents of the Emerald Court society, however, complain of higher noise levels and dust pollution due to the debris removal work.
Udaybhan Singh Teotia, President of ECO (Emerald Court) Resident Welfare Association, said, “It is likely to take nearly three more weeks to finish the work and we are hopeful that it will be completed by April 15.”
Another resident of the society, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the noise and dust pollution was still high, even if it was less than earlier. “Now the sound levels are bearable here. We want the work to be completed soon. Dust pollution is also there because of debris lying in the open. The work executing agency should take appropriate measures to control it,” the resident said.
Background
The original deadline to clear the debris was November 28, 2022. It was extended in December 2022.
In February 2023, the Noida Authority conducted sound level tests in three zones — at the site, around the demolition site, and inside the houses of the residents of nearby buildings — following complaints by residents.
Sound levels at the site were found to be above permissible limits, validating complaints of residents in the neighbourhood.
The permissible noise level for residential areas is 45 decibels at night and 55 units during the day. In commercial areas, it is 55 decibels at night and 65 decibels during the day, while for industrial areas, it is 70 units at night) and 75 units during the day.
Last month at a meeting of stakeholders, including officials of the Noida Authority, residents of Emerald Court, Edifice Engineering executives, and Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari, it was decided that no fresh extension would be given and that the work would have to be completed within the deadline of 45 days starting March 1.
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