2 Kerala luxury apartments rubbled on SC order

Kochi, January 11

Two luxury apartment complexes were reduced to rubble in seconds after authorities detonated explosives filled in the structures, complying with the Supreme Court order to bring down the four unauthorised buildings in Maradu municipality in Kerela on Saturday.

The two high-rises — Holy Faith H2O and the twin towers of Alfa Serene Apartment — were demolished using controlled implosion method at 11.18 am and 11.46 am, respectively. The two other apartments — Jain Coral Cove and Golden Kayaloram — will be brought down on Sunday, in compliance with the apex court order.

Thousands of people watched the scene from outside the demolition zone. Authorities expressed satisfaction over the drive on Saturday, saying the entire exercise of demolition was almost near perfect. “No harm to any human life or animal life has taken place and no perceptible damage to any property has taken place,” Kochi city police commissioner Vijay Sakhare said after visiting the sites along with Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas to take post demolition assesment.

Residents, who were evacuated from the 200-metre radius of the structures, were allowed to visit their homes and assess if any damages have occured to their buildings. Sakhare said the implosion was delayed by 15 minutes “because of the obvious reason” that Section 144 was not completely enforced in the area.

“On land and water it was complete, on air it was not enforced so we waited. Once it was cleared, we have done it,” he said.

A total of 343 waterfront flats were built in the complexes, violating the Coastal Regulation Zone norms. The Supreme Court had in September 2019 directed demolition of the apartment complexes within 138 days, a timeline given by the Kerala government.

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. — PTI