KOCHI: A team of demolition experts on Sunday began a two-day assessment of the Chander Kunj Twin Towers on Silver Sand Island in Vyttila, ahead of their proposed controlled demolition. The team included Uttkarsh Mehta of Edifice Engineering and Kevin Smit and Robert Brinkmann of Jet Demolitions.
The experts termed their visit an internal study on the structural condition of the buildings and an assessment of the site before deciding on the apt method.
“We are here to study the buildings and understand the best, quickest and safest way to carry out the demolition,” Mehta said.
Jet Demolitions, the South African firm that partnered Edifice during the demolition of the Maradu apartment complexes, is assisting in the project. “The demolition will be carried out only after a thorough assessment of the site and the evacuation of nearby residents. The district administration and other authorities are extending full cooperation.”
The agency expressed confidence that the demolition could be carried out without any issues.
Addressing concerns over the buildings nearby, the experts said the buildings close to towers B and C would not be affected as they are around 50m away from the demolition site. The agency said they had previously carried out demolitions where neighbouring buildings were as close as seven metres away. As a precautionary measure, the residents of adjacent buildings will be evacuated on the day of the demolition.
The demolition follows a High Court order directing the buildings be razed and rebuilt after they were found to be structurally unsafe. The towers, built by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) in 2018, developed structural defects, including cracks in concrete and corrosion of reinforcement steel, prompting concerns over their stability.
The High Court subsequently directed the district collector to proceed with the evacuation and demolition process, stressing that public safety could not be compromised by delays in resolving issues related to rent and reconstruction costs. All residents of towers B and C have since vacated the buildings, paving the way for the demolition process to move forward.