Kochi: As days inch closer towards the court-ordered demolition of the four apartment complexes at Maradu in Kerala's Ernakulam district, there is little clarity on the impact the controlled explosion would cause in the region.
Even the experts in the technical committee are apprehensive about the consequences when more than 15,000 tonnes of weight would come crashing down after the explosion. Authorities are gearing up for the demolition after the Supreme Court ordered for the buildings to be razed that were constructed by violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
Preparations are on to demolish the buildings that are located in the fragile coastal zone areas. Therefore, even the experts are wary of the grievous impact that the after-shocks of the explosions could cause in the region.
Likely impacts
1. When 15,000 tonnes of weight bore down on the earth, it could cause the land to cave in and in the following impact the land in the adjacent plots could rise. If it has the same impact on the nearby water bodies, it could obstruct the smooth flow of the water.
2. If the land in the nearby plots were to rise, the buildings could be destroyed or develop cracks.
3. The aftershocks can render nearby bridges fragile.
4. The dust created in the explosion can engulf the region.
After-shocks are also of two types. The after-shock triggered by the explosion causes blast vibrations, while touch-down vibrations are created when the rubble from the explosion comes crashing down.
A weighty issue
A building with an area of one-lakh-sqft would weigh between 10,000 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes. The total weight of the to-be-demolished building is 76,350 tonnes. Each of the to-be-demolished building in Maradu has more than one-lakh-sqft area, and one of the flats has an area of 2.5-lakh-sqft. Thus, around 15,000 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes of weight would come crashing down for each explosion.
All these issues were taken up for discussion during the recent meeting of the technical committee.
The demolition of the flats is likely to be carried out by December end or January.
Solution offered
Various floors of the flat would be demolished within a span of milliseconds and therefore, all the weight would not fall down at once, says the representatives of the South African firm 'Get Demolished', which has been tasked with the demolition.
Also, 1.5metres of trenches would be dug around the flats for bearing the impact of the demolition. Plus, an insurance cover of Rs 100 crore has been taken, considering the possible damage the explosion can cause to the adjacent buildings. Water would be pumped to deal with the rising dust particles.
Association of Structural and Geotechnical Consulting representative Anil Joseph pointed out that more meetings should be held to discuss on the likely impacts of the demolition and the solutions for these.
