KOCHI: Wind in Maradu between 10.30 am and 11.30 am on Saturday will be a crucial factor in the demolition of the two highrises — Holy Faith H2O and Alfa Serene. Any sudden strengthening of wind in the area will upset the entire planning at the execution stage, experts said. If the wind blows hard, the dust won’t settle and the entire planning may go haywire, they said. However, Fire and Rescue Services officials will be pressed into service and the jet of water into the huge heap of debris may help settle dust particles, they added.
“The wind is likely to blow in an eastward direction. We won’t be able to assess the extent of the spread of dust. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We have deployed four fire tenders with water jets to bring down the dust that is likely to engulf the area,” district collector S Suhas said. The residents around the apartments have been asked to evacuate before 7am on Saturday and cover their houses completely and keep the doors and windows closed.
Utkarsh Mehta of Edifice Engineering, the company in charge of demolishing Holy Faith H2O, however, said that the presence of wind during the demolition time won’t create any issues. “The demolition will happen in a matter of seconds. We feel the presence of wind will make the job easier as the dust particles will fly off quickly,” he said.
Mehta said nearby residences would not face any issue as specific instructions have been given by the police. “Three minutes after the demolition, the Fire and Rescue Services officials will be given clearance to use water jets on the site. With the presence of wind, we expect the dust particles to settle down in 8-10 minutes and it will not float in the air after that,” Utkarsh said.
Humidity a big factor
C T Aravindakumar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MG University, who is in charge of the mobile ambient air pollution facility near the Maradu municipal office, said the presence of wind will clear the demolition spot. “The distribution will increase. But that too has only a limited possibility as the demolition takes place at noon. Maybe that is why the team chose that time,” he said. According to him, the city’s high humidity will help dust particles settle down soon. “A small portion may still be present in the air. That will not create much trouble for the residents. However, the particles settling in the lake will be a long-term issue for them,” he said.