Photos: Buildings go down for violating environmental norms

After the Supreme Court on May last year ordered the demolition of illegal flats citing the flood of the century, which ravaged the state two years ago when 400 people died, the Kerala government brought down four residential complexes in Kochi’s Maradu Municipality through controlled implosions. This was one of the largest demolition drives in India involving residential complexes for violating environmental norms. Dramatic visuals showed the flats coming down as packs of cards within seconds, filling the area with debris. Officials have said it will take at least one month to clear the nearly 70,000 tonne of rubble after the demolition. Some of the local residents will be allowed to return to their houses after the concrete waste is cleared.

Updated on: Jan 13, 2020 1:05 PM IST

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Jain Coral Cove apartment built in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms in Maradu Municipality, being demolished through a controlled implosion, in Kochi. Four illegal multi-storey apartment complexes in Maradu town of Kerala’s Kochi were successfully demolished in two rounds of controlled implosion. (Vivek R Nair/HT Photo)

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On Sunday morning, the 17-storeyed Jain Coral Cove building—largest among the four with 128 flats, was demolished using 372kg of explosives. Other flats to come down were the H20 Holy Faith complex, a 19-floor building with 91 apartments; Alfa Serene with 67 houses on 17 floors and Golden Kayaloram with 40 flats on 17 floors. (Vivek R Nair/HT Photo)

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The Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of these four flats with more than 350 houses in May last year. The Kerala government informed the Supreme Court on Monday about the demolition of the four towers. (Vivek R Nair/HT Photo)

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Dramatic visuals showed the flats coming down like a pack of cards within seconds, filling the area with debris. (ANI)

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Firemen used water cannons to control dust and fumes that enveloped the whole area of the Maradu complexes after both the buildings came down as thousands gathered to watch the demolition. (ANI)

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Authorities had evacuated hundreds of residents and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to control the surge in the number of onlookers. (PTI)

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Demolition team is seen near the high-rise luxury apartment Holy Faith H2O before it was brought down. Edifice Engineering and South Africa-based Jet Demolitions are the two companies that were involved in the razing of these buildings, spread in an area of at least 800,000 square feet. (Vivek R Nair/HT Photo)

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The second tower of water-front residential apartment Alpha Serene is demolished using controlled implosion. This is one of the largest demolition drives in India involving residential complexes for violating environmental norms. (RS Iyer/AP)

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Debris is seen after the demolition as onlookers gather at the site. Officials have said it will take at least one month to clear the nearly 70,000 tonne of rubble after the demolition. Some of the local residents will be allowed to return to their houses after the concrete waste is cleared. (PTI)