#NewsBytesExplainer: Why are Noida's Supertech twin towers being demolished
The demolition of the Supertech twin towers, which were ruled illegal, will finally take place on Sunday at 2:30 pm in Noida Sector-93A. The demolition is a result of a decade-long legal battle between the homebuyers and the builder firm. The over 100-meter buildings are the tallest structures to be demolished in India ever. But, how did they get to this point?
Why does this story matter?
On August 31, 2021, the Supreme Court (SC) declared the construction illegal and ordered that the buildings should be razed within three months from that date. A legal battle ensued in the following months, before an SC bench on February 7 this year ordered Supertech and Edifice Engineering to enforce the top court's August 31, 2021 order to demolish the society's Apex and Ceyane towers.
Earliest plan had capped building height to 37 meters
The land for the construction of the colony named Emerald Court was allotted to the Noida-based builder firm Supertech Limited in November 2004. As per the earliest sanctioned plan in June 2005, the colony was to have 14 towers, each being nine-storeyed and none of them taller than the prescribed height of 37 meters. In June 2006, they were allotted additional land for construction.
Builders scaled 40 storeys despite being allowed only 24
The twin towers to be demolished — Ceyane and Apex — are included in the plan on November 2009 and are set to have 24 storeys each. By March 2012, the towers had risen up to 40 floors, which Supertech argued was under 2010 Noida building regulations, while the original plan was sanctioned under Noida Building Regulations and Directions, 1986.
Change of construction plan must be sanctioned by homebuyers
The Emerald Court Residents' Welfare Association moved Allahbad High Court in December 2012 against the builders as the green area promised to them had become the place upon which the twin towers had been built. The homebuyers claimed that the new structures were in violation of the UP Apartment Owners Act, 2010 under which any change in building plans must be sanctioned by them.
250 homebuyers yet to receive dues
In April 2014, the HC sealed the towers and ordered their demolition, observing that the structures were a result of collusion between Noida authorities and Supertech. It also directed Supertech to refund the homebuyers with an interest rate of 12%. As many as 250 homebuyers are yet to receive their compensation, despite an August 2021 order in the matter by the SC.
