Around 215 kg of explosives have been stacked at the H2O Holy Faith apartment complex which is set for demolition in Maradu here. The consignment arrived on Saturday morning.
R. Venugopal, deputy chief controller of explosives, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, said the explosives material was used to fill 1,471 holes at H2O Holy Faith. The apartment complex is being demolished on an order from the Supreme Court for violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms. Three other complexes too will be demolished as per the Supreme Court order last year.
The H2O Holy Faith complex will be brought down around 11 a.m. on January 11, the Alfa Serene complex by 11.30 on January 11, Jain Coral Cove at 11 a.m. on January 12, and Golden Kayaloram will be demolished at 2 p.m. on January 12, according to a schedule fixed by the expert committee monitoring the operations.
Jain Coral Cove will require 395 kg of explosives, Golden Kayaloram about 15 kg, and Alfa Serene’s twin towers will require 200 kg each.
Complaints persist
Those living near the apartment complexes marked for demolition have been complaining about their concerns not being addressed by the district administration.
K.R. Shaji, living near Alfa Serene Tower II, said the residents were not sure about the extent of damage that would be caused by the explosions. While the government had virtually rejected their plea for total compensation, the authorities had not heeded a demand that the complexes around which there are fewer residents be demolished first to assess the impact on the surrounding areas.
Decision on schedule
Vice chairman of the Maradu municipality Boban Nedumparambil said a decision on the people’s plea for a change in the schedule of demolition would be taken at a meeting convened by the district administration late Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, a team of scientists from IIT, Chennai, are in Kochi working to locate equipment to be placed for measuring the impact of the explosions that will bring down the apartment complexes.
