NE NEWS SERVICE
KOCHI, JAN 12
A biggest flat complex in Maradu town in Kochi in Kerala was pulled down by controlled implosion on Sunday, resulting in dust and fumes engulfed around the illegal complex.
Personnel from the fire department rushed with water jets to control the debris as the building came crashing down in nine seconds. After this one more building, the last among four, will be demolished for flouting Coastal Zone Regulation norms.
Waste almost as high as a four-storey building settled after the demolition, which officials said it was a successful operation.
Officials said 372kg of explosives inside the 17-storeyed Jain Coral Cove building, the largest among the four with 128 flats, was detonated by electric wires after a siren was sounded.
After this, the Golden Kayaloram with 40 flats will be demolished at 2 p.m. today, completing the razing of the illegal structures.
They said the razing of Golden Kayaloram is challenging because it is surrounded by backwaters and another huge building complex is very near to it.
On Saturday, H20 Holy Faith complex, a 19-floor building with 91 apartments, and Alfa Serene with 67 houses on 17 floors were pulled down in one of the largest demolition drives in the country.
Firemen used water cannons to control dust and fumes that enveloped the whole area of the Maradu complexes after both the buildings came down as thousands gathered to watch the demolition.
Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to control the surge in the number of onlookers.
Edifice Engineering and South Africa-based Jet Demolitions are the two companies involved in the razing of these buildings, spread in an area of at least 800,000 square feet.
The Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of these four flat complexes in May last year. In September, it gave an ultimatum to the state government after summoning the chief secretary.
The Kerala government will inform the Supreme Court on Monday about the demolition of the four flats. Justice Arun Mishra was very keen on demolishing the flats citing the flood of the century, which ravaged the state two years ago and when 400 people died.
According to officials, it will take at least one month to clear the nearly 70,000 tonne of rubble after the demolition. Some of the local residents will be allowed to return to their houses after the concrete waste is cleared, official sources said.
