At 2:32pm on Sunday, explosives fixed in various floors of the Golden Kayaloram apartment went off, bringing down the massive 17-storey structure to the ground in Kerala's Maradu Municipality.
The structure came crashing to earth, and plumes of dust billowed into the sky even, leaving hundreds of spectators spellbound.
Kerala government officials might have heaved a huge sigh of relief after watching the picture-perfect implosion. For, the demolition helped them comply with the Supreme Court directive to demolish the four illegally constructed apartments on the banks of Vembanad Lake.
In September 2019, the court summoned Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose for failing to comply with its previous order to demolish the apartments.
The Supreme Court had ordered to demolish the four apartments – Holy Faith H20, Alfa Serene (twin towers), Jain Coral Cove and Golden Kayaloram – as they were constructed in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.
The Kerala government did not implement the order. But it was forced to fall in line after the apex court gave it a 138-day deadline.
The Kerala government began steps for evacuating residents in October, 2019.
Demolition
The mission was accomplished at 2:32pm on Sunday with the demolition of Golden Kayaloram.
Mumbai-based Edifice Engineering, the company entrusted with the demolition, which worked in collaboration with South African firm, Jet Demolition, executed the plan perfectly without causing much damage to the nearby buildings and the surrounding lake.
Earlier in the day, at 11:02am, experts from the same company executed the implosion of the 17-storey Jain Coral Cove.
The first two apartment complexes were demolished on Saturday.
H20 Holy Faith was demolished at 11:17am . It was followed by the implosion of twin towers of Alpha Serene at 11:44am and 11:46, respectively.
It took 36 seconds to raze all the five towers. A rare engineering feat, indeed.
Debris removal
Though the Supreme Court order has been complied, debris removal is the next major task for the government and civic authorities.
Tonnes of concrete and steel have fallen to earth and water, and it will take many days to clear the debris.
However, Utkarsh Mehta, the managing director of the Edifice Engineering, said the debris will be cleared from the three buildings (his company demolished) in 45 days.
“We will clear the debris in 45 days,” he said after the demolition of Golden Kayaloram.
