Kochi: With the dates set for the demolition of four multi-storey illegal waterfront apartment complexes in Maradu municipality of Kerala's Ernakulam district fast approaching, the authorities are preparing a foolproof plan to ensure that everything goes smoothly as planned.
The district police on Sunday said that the 200m radius around the apartment complexes will be declared exclusion zones on January 11 and 12, the dates scheduled for razing the buildings. This means people will not be allowed to enter the said area.
The water bodies around the flat towers are also part of the exclusion zone and entry in the water bodies is also prohibited. The houses within the exclusion zone will be inspected by 8 am on the dates of demolition. People will be allowed to return to their houses half an hour after the demolition of the buildings.
Works for demolishing the structures using controlled implosion method are in the final stage.
Kochi City Police Commissioner and Inspector General Vijay Sakhare Sakhare told reporters here that the probability of any mishap is "very very rare" as the explosives which have been placed on columns have been covered properly with a protective material.
Police said Section 144 (CrPC) would be imposed within the exclusion zone. No entry is allowed in the exclusion zone. “The exclusion zone would be implemented and maintained by the police and any entry in the exclusion zone area would be illegal," police said.
Sakhare that close to 500 police personnel would be deployed at every demolition site.
No-fly zone
Those planning to shoot the demolition using drone cameras will be disappointed as flying drones within the exclusion zone has been banned.
"The entire exclusion zone is a No-fly Zone. Any unauthorised drones flying would be taken down. Any unauthorised drone flying near the building may trigger the explosives and may lead to premature detonation," police said.
"We are ready and hopefully everything will go on well without causing inconvenience to people, without causing any harm to anybody," Sakhare said.
The H2O Holyfaith apartment complex and the Alfa Serene complex would be demolished on January 11 in a gap between 11am and 11:05 am.
H2O has 90 flats on 19 floors while Alfa Serene has 73 flats in its 17 and 12 floors twin towers.
While the 17-floor Jain Coral Cove apartment complex with 122 flats would be razed at 11am on January 12, the Golden Kayaloram with 40 flats and 17 floors would be demolished at 2pm, authorities said.
People living around the Alfa Serene twin towers have been protesting the decision to demolish the buildings on the first day as they fear that the implosion may damage their houses. Cracks were developed on the walls of several houses in the area after the demolition works started.
Six families have already been shifted to another place.
Guidelines for media
Media have been directed not to stand immediately on the exclusion zone boundary. They are allowed to set up their equipment only after some distance from the exclusion zone boundary.
Explosives being filled
The companies awarded contract for demolishing the structures – Edifice Engineering and Vijaya Steels – have started filling explosives in the interconnected holes drilled into their pillars.
Explosives were filled in Holyfaith H2O on Sunday and they were taken to Jain Coral Cove for filling later. The filling works were carried out by expert workers of Jet Demolition company from abroad including Africa.
Explosives will be filled in Alfa Serene by Vijaya Steels on Monday. The chemicals are kept in a godown at Perumbavoor.
Around 850 kg of explosives are reportedly required for the demolition of the buildings using controlled implosion.
Ernakulam district authorities and other agencies, including Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, have started completing formalities, including issuing No Objection Certificates and clearance certificates to the firms which won the contracts to bring down the structures.
The intermediate walls of the buildings have been demolished and now the apartments are standing on bare structures.
The authorities are implementing the Supreme Court order directing to demolish the water front high-rises constructed in violation of coastal regulation zone norms.
The Supreme Court in September last year had directed demolition of the apartment complexes within 138 days, a timeline given by the Kerala government.
On May 8 last year, the apex court had directed that these buildings be removed within a month as they were constructed in a notified CRZ, which was part of the tidally- influenced water body in Kerala.
The court had passed the order after taking note of a report of a three-member committee, which said when the buildings were built, the area was already notified as a CRZ and construction was prohibited.
The authorities are implementing the Supreme Court order directing to demolish the water front high-rises constructed in violation of coastal regulation zone norms.
