A year after twin towers fell, life is ‘heavenly’, say Emerald Court residents

The two acre land on which the towers stood has been unofficially named as Vijay Path by residents, while the day was commemorated as Victory Day

A year after the 32-storey Supertech twin towers in Sector 93A became the tallest structures in the country to be demolished in a controlled blast, residents of Emerald Court on Monday held celebrations to mark a “year of freedom” from the shadow of the looming towers.

The spot where the illegally constructed Supertech twin towers stood. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

A year on, the two acre land on which the towers stood has been unofficially named as Vijay Path by residents, while the day was commemorated as Victory Day.

In December 2012, the senior citizen-led residents’ welfare association of the society filed a PIL in the Allahabad high court against the twin towers claiming that several rules were violated in their construction. In August 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the residents and ordered the towers’ demolition.

From enjoying ample sunlight and wind to taking a walk in the open space in the evening, the residents say their homes are no less than “heaven” for them.

“The cleaning of the rubble, from the towers’ demolition, was to be completed in three months as per the Noida authority schedule, but it took at least nine months for the whole area to be cleared of debris. In May this year, the RWA decided to unofficially rename the land as Vijay Path, as the society driveway connects to it, and residents like to take a walk in the open space. It has become like heaven for us. We are now able to see our towers clear from the shadow of the twin towers. It was for all this that we fought for over a decade. This is the dream home we bought years ago before the builder decided to erect the looming towers in front of our homes, cutting off our sunlight and view,” said the 83-year-old UBS Teotia, the residents’ welfare association (RWA) president

Teotia said the flat rates have increased significantly after the towers were removed.

“Earlier, the society and its residents were under the shadow of the two buildings. There were several flats lying vacant as no one wanted to live here because the view from the balconies was spoiled. However, over the past one year, several new residents have moved in and around 15 vacant flats have been occupied. Earlier, a 1,750 squre feet flat cost around ₹82-85 lakh, and the same is now prices at ₹1.50 crore. The rate of a 2,800 square feet flat has increased from ₹1.25 crore to ₹1.75 crore,” said the RWA president.

Last winter, residents, said, they could finally bask in the winter sun on their balconies. “We earlier had to step out of our homes and go to the central park for sunlight during winters. But this winter was memorable for us as we could sit on our balconies and take in the winter sun,” said Nirmal Tandon (85), another resident.

The society overlooks the Sector 93A park, which also offers a green view for residents. “In 2009, the only reason I purchased a flat in Emerald Court was the ample greenery and air circulation. But with the construction of the imposing 32-storey high towers, just nine metres away from our home, made living in our own homes feel like we were in a jail. The past one year has been blissful,” said Mihika Arora (63), another resident.

The demolition also made the society well-known, both locally and across the country.

“Now, when we need to tell someone the location of our society, we mention that this is the spot where the demolition happened. The demolition is still being talked about even after a year,” said Gauri Grover, a resident.

Probe into authority officials still lagging

Saumya Srivastava, Greater Noida authority officer on special duty, who was appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe into the role of Noida authority officials into the Supertech twin towers case on Monday said of the 11 officials served show-cause notices, seven have replied while four have sought more time.

The probe was initiated by the government to investigate how Supertech got the map of the twin towers approved despite the towers being planned in violation of building by-laws.

Srivastava was appointed in March this year and has been given the mandate to probe and identify the culpable officials and fix responsibility.

“The seven people who have replied have been given another two weeks to reply in a detailed manner, as their replies were not satisfactory. The other four people have not yet replied, and have sought a month’s time, on August 25, to reply. Once the replies are submitted, the inquiry report will be submitted to the government,” he said.

When asked about the delay, he said, “The department procedures take time. I was appointed in March and I only got the files a month later. Further, three of the officials who have been served notices, have approached the Allahabad high court seeking reprieve. The high court has mandated that the government order be followed in the investigation, which states that the officials accused of collusion with the builder be given a chance of cross examine witnesses who gave statements against them. They have also asked for some documents to be forwarded to them from the Noida authority. These are all taking some time.”