Nine seconds! That is how long it will take Edifice Engineering to bring down the 103-metre-tall, 40-storey Supertech twin towers in Noida.
The demolition of the towers -- Apex and Ceyane – declared illegal by the Allahabad high court -- has been scheduled for 2:30 pm on August 28, the date fixed by the Supreme Court.
Residents of developments in the vicinity of the towers, ATS Green Village and Emerald Court, have been ordered by the Noida Authority to evacuate to safety by 7 am the same day.
Security guards will be allowed to remain at the premises until noon and residents will be allowed to return to their apartments after 4 pm if Edifice Engineering sounds the all-clear after the demolition is completed.
This means ATS Green Village and Emerald Court will have no human presence for four hours between noon and 4 pm on the day of the demolition.
Residents of both said told Moneycontrol that they intended to carry along their valuables – important documents, jewellery -- during evacuation.
Rajeev Srivastava, a resident of ATS Green Village, said he would be taking his family out of station and will be carrying their valuables along.
"There will be no one here post-noon till 4 pm as security guards have also been asked to evacuate. There are concerns among residents about the safety of their valuables,” said another resident of ATS Green Village, who requested anonymity.
The resident expressed concerns about the possibility of thieves breaking in. Others brushed aside the possibility of theft, but they too said they will be taking along their valuables as a precaution.
"Theft cannot happen as the entire campus will be vacated and an exclusion zone will be created by sealing the area. The exclusion zone will be monitored by the police and even the entry of animals has been barred,” said Anoop Kesharwani, a resident of Emerald Court, adding that anyone would be a fool to risk entering the exclusion zone on the day of the demolition.
“But yes, we are going to our relative's place that day and will be taking along our valuables as well," added Kesharwani.
A senior Noida Authority official and a Noida police officer involved in the process of delineating the exclusion zone said area will be sealed and strictly monitored to prevent the entry of any person.
Ceyanne and Apex -- will be counted among the tallest buildings ever to be demolished in a controlled explosion. The charging – or the process of fixing explosives in columns of building’s skeletal structure – will be completed by August 23.