Noida: How serious are cracks in flats after twin towers' fall? 10 days to analyse

NOIDA: The analysis of cracks spotted in walls and pillars of some flats in ATS Greens Village, the condominium adjacent to the twin towers that were brought down on August 28, will be completed in 10 days, Edifice Engineering said on Thursday, adding it will carry out repairs as per the report.
The analysis is being carried out by Kerala-based engineering firm Geo Structurals, which was brought in for the survey by Edifice Engineering, the demolition company.
Edifice officials said Geo Structurals is going through "before- and after-demolition" photos and videos of the residential buildings located within the critical zone of 50 metres from the twin towers.
"Edifice will subsequently carry out the repair one based on the consultant's report," an official said.
Residents of at least four flats in an equal number of buildings - some beyond the 50-metre-mark from the twin towers - in ATS Greens Village reported seeing cracks and fissures on the walls and pillars.
Edifice officials had earlier said superficial cracks in plasters had been "expected" by the company, but they would be analysed by the third-party firm.
Separately, repair work for broken windows and glasses across houses in Emerald Court - where the twin towers stood - and ATS Greens Village has begun, and is expected to be completed over the next few days.
"The cracks in columns cannot be computed in the same manner as that of windows. The consultant is analysing the cracks in a scientific manner and will submit their report. We will take up repair wherever it is required," said Mayur Mehta, project manager, Edifice.
There are over 35 flats in ATS Greens Village where the window panes were shattered by the implosion's impact, besides damage to some columns and common areas. A 10 metre- section of ATS Village's boundary wall also fell during the demolition.
In Emerald Court, there were 12 flats that reported cracked windows and all of them have been repaired, officials said.
Atul Chatturvedi, the RWA president of ATS Village, told TOI that the demolition company had taken an insurance cover of Rs 100 crore to cover any damages and carry out repairs.
"They (Edifice) would get back to us once the analysis gets over. Their teams are conducting the inspection and recording damages for the past two days. This is likely to be completed by Friday," Chatturvedi said.
The two societies are also awaiting an structural audit to be facilitated by Supertech, the twin towers' builder, and a report will be submitted to the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI).