The Evening Wrap: Controlled explosions raze Noida towers in 12 seconds

Nine years after a residents association went to court over the illegally built Supertech twin towers, a series of controlled explosions reduced the 100-metre tall structures to a mountain of rubble – watched by thousands from surrounding rooftops and lakhs on live television. Apex (32 storeys) and Ceyane (29 storeys) were gone in 12 seconds, in the carefully choreographed and meticulously executed demolition, the biggest such exercise in the country so far. "It felt like structures of corruption were coming down," said Purshotam Mishra, who watched the demolition, ordered last year by the Supreme Court. The apex court had pointed at the “collusion” between the builders and Noida Authority officials who let Supertech Ltd construct in the area where no buildings were to come up according to the original plans. The builders paid for the demolition, which cost about Rs 20 crore. According to the company, their overall loss is around Rs 500 crore. That includes land, construction and interest costs. Many people had travelled to Noida hours ahead for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, as 3,700 kilos of explosives bored into the pillars and walls of the two residential buildings went off in quick succession. Just after 2.30 pm, the floors of the twin towers collapsed onto each other in a massive stack, which sat amid other complexes in sector 93A in Noida, an Uttar Pradesh city that adjoins New Delhi. As the doomed buildings went down, a cloud of dust rose obscuring their very final moments. About 5,000 people from the adjoining Emerald Court and ATS Village societies had left their homes, hours before the demolition under the evacuation plan. Nearly 3,000 vehicles and about 200 pets were also taken out of harm’s way for the next several hours. The dust settled in a few minutes. Officials reported cracked windows and a broken boundary wall, but apparently no significant structural damage to the high-rises next to the demolished towers. The closest residential complex was just nine metres away and the residents had complained that the illegal towers blocked their view. A team from Edifice Engineering and South Africa’s Jet Demolitions – the two companies that carried out the challenging task – the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) and the Noida Authority began a structural audit of the adjoining buildings. Water sprinklers and anti-smog guns were activated at the site soon after the demolition to help contain the dust, an official said. Officials said the demolition conducted by the “waterfall implosion” technique left an estimated 35,000 cubic metres or 55,000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes of debris, including concrete rubble, steel and iron bars that would take three months to be disposed of. Congress to vote for new president on October 17 The Congress presidential elections will be held on October 17, the party announced, after the election schedule was endorsed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday. This was the first meeting of the CWC after exit of the party’s longest serving general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, but in the brief virtual meeting, none of the members raked up his exit or expressed solidarity with the Gandhi family who were at the centre of Mr. Azad’s attack in his resignation letter. There were also no fresh appeals from CWC members asking Mr. Gandhi to return to the chair. Ms. Gandhi, chairing the meeting, said the meeting was only to discuss the schedule and no other issue will be discussed. Former President Mr. Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen on one screen. Both of them did not speak during the brief meeting. The entire CWC participated in the meeting including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The meeting lasted for less than 30 minutes. The president’s post has been with the Gandhi family for over two decades now. As reported by The Hindu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the front runner for the post, after the Gandhi family’s decision to withdraw from the contest.The election process will begin on September 24 and culminate on October 17 where in case of a contest votes will be cast. The electoral college comprises of over 9,000 delegates. During the meeting, according to the sources, senior party leader Anand Sharma, who is also one the prominent members of G-23 group along with Mr. Azad questioned the sanctity of the electoral rolls.He said he had received many complaints from colleagues from different States thatthey were in the dark about meetings of primary members at the block-committee and district-committee level who elected the delegates for the AICC chief’s elections. He said the list of delegates should be published and pasted at the block, DCC and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) levels. Congress president Ms. Gandhi asked Mr. Mistry to clarify, in response to which Mr. Mistry, according to sources, said that these lists have been verified.He also said, that the list would be made available to the PCC and to any candidate who wishes to contest. At the press conference, held after the CWC meeting, when reporters raised questions about Mr. Sharma’s intervention, party’s general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh asserted that no questions were asked. But Mr. Mistry said, “Those who have raised this question have gone through this very process. So I won’t want to comment on it.” Later, in a tweet, Mr. Ramesh again insisted that no questions were raised on the electoral process. “There is some dubious ‘source-based’ plantation going on that questions were raised in CWC meeting today on the Congress President’s election process and schedule. This is to make absolutely clear that nobody raised any question or any doubt.” Sources, also said, that this CWC meeting could be Ms. Gandhi’s very last one and to avoid any embarrassing or awkward exchanges, it was decided at an informal meeting of a few CWC members to omit any references to Mr. Azad or make fresh appeals for Mr. Gandhi’s return. The party however, is cautious of not conceding the space in J&K where Mr. Azad after his exit from Congress is widely expected to start his own party. On Monday, party’s J&K in-charge Rajni Patil will be visiting the State and holding a series of meetings with State leadership to take stock of the situation after Mr. Azad’s exit. The party insists that only a select few party leaders who were close to Mr. Azad have left along with him and the party unit remains more or less intact. J&J’s talc-based powder still on sale India is part of the “worldwide portfolio assessment and commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio” of the pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J). In its statement, the company said that as a result of this transition, talc-based Johnson’s baby powder would be discontinued globally in 2023. The announcement earlier this month comes two years after J&J discontinued the product in the U.S. and Canada. Child rights groups, parents and doctors have been questioning the continued availability of the product here in India. Indian drug regulators have been silent on this issue, allowing wide availability and sale of this product in the country. The company has said “in India there is no plan to withdraw this talc and that there will be no recall. The product is safe and will be available till manufacturing stops.” It reiterated that it continuously evaluates and optimises its portfolio to best position the business for long-term growth. “This transition will help simplify our product offerings, deliver sustainable innovation, and meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends,” it maintained while admitting that the cornstarch-based Johnson’s Baby Powder was already sold in countries around the world. The company’s decision to stop production comes following multiple lawsuits from women who claim that the product caused ovarian cancer, due to the alleged contamination of asbestos, a known carcinogen. It, however, has maintained that its older product (which is not cornstarch-based) is safe. “Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms that talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” the company said in its statement. “In India, the company is late in implementing the strategy, which has been adapted in the western part of the world. If a product is being discontinued for manufacturing, why should it be sold and why not recall it,” asked Suresh Kumar Panuganti, lead consultant, paediatric critical care, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad. For decades now, doctors have advised parents not to use talcum powder on babies, even if it does not contain asbestos, cautioning that inhaling the talc can lead to respiratory illnesses. India refers to Taiwan Strait ‘militarisation’ India has for the first time referred to what it called “the militarisation of the Taiwan Strait”, marking a rare instance of New Delhi appearing to comment on China’s actions towards Taiwan. The reference to Taiwan, in a statement late on Saturday issued by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, marked a more pronounced expression of New Delhi’s views over the situation in the Taiwan Strait than its previous response on August 12 to China’s military drills, conducted in the wake of the visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not refer to “militarisation” of the Strait, only saying India was “concerned at recent developments” and “urge[d] exercise of restraint, avoidance of unilateral actions to change status quo, de-escalation of tensions and efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region”. When asked at an August 12 briefing if India would, as Beijing had requested, reiterate its commitment to a “One China policy”, the MEA said “India’s relevant policies are well-known and consistent” and “do not require reiteration”. The latest reference to Taiwan came amid a spat with China over the visit this month of a Chinese military tracking vessel, Yuan Wang 5, to Hambantota in Sri Lanka. Responding sharply to remarks made by the Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka referring to “aggression” faced by Sri Lanka from its “northern neighbour”, the Indian High Commission termed his comments “a violation of basic diplomatic etiquette” saying they “may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude”. The High Commission said the statement was “in response to queries concerning the article by Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka which, inter alia, drew connection between militarisation of Taiwan Straits and visit of China’s Yuan Wang 5 ship to Hambantota.” In Brief The criticism of India by the Western countries on its imports of Russian crude oil while exempting themselves from their "own illegitimate sanctions" is a reflection of their unprincipled position and double standards, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov has said. In an interview to PTI, the envoy said trade between India and Russia has been on an upswing and both sides have several payment systems in place and that there is an option even of using currencies of third countries with certain "partners" in Asia and in West Asia offering viable choices. Historically, Russia has not been a major source of fossil fuel for India but the imports of discounted Russian crude oil have seen a massive increase in the last few months, notwithstanding rising disquiet in many Western capitals. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 28 AUGUST 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Controlled explosions raze Noida towers in 12 seconds Nine years after a residents association went to court over the illegally built Supertech twin towers, [a series of controlled explosions reduced the 100-metre tall structures to a mountain of rubble]( – watched by thousands from surrounding rooftops and lakhs on live television. Apex (32 storeys) and Ceyane (29 storeys) were gone in 12 seconds, in the carefully choreographed and meticulously executed demolition, the biggest such exercise in the country so far. [Controlled explosions demolish the twin towers, Apex and Ceyane, in Noida on August 28, 2022. ] "It felt like structures of corruption were coming down," said Purshotam Mishra, who watched the demolition, ordered last year by the Supreme Court. The apex court had pointed at the “collusion” between the builders and Noida Authority officials who let Supertech Ltd construct in the area where no buildings were to come up according to the original plans. The builders paid for the demolition, which cost about Rs 20 crore. According to the company, their overall loss is around Rs 500 crore. That includes land, construction and interest costs. Many people had travelled to Noida hours ahead for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, as 3,700 kilos of explosives bored into the pillars and walls of the two residential buildings went off in quick succession. Just after 2.30 pm, the floors of the twin towers collapsed onto each other in a massive stack, which sat amid other complexes in sector 93A in Noida, an Uttar Pradesh city that adjoins New Delhi. As the doomed buildings went down, a cloud of dust rose obscuring their very final moments. About 5,000 people from the adjoining Emerald Court and ATS Village societies had left their homes, hours before the demolition under the evacuation plan. Nearly 3,000 vehicles and about 200 pets were also taken out of harm’s way for the next several hours. The dust settled in a few minutes. Officials reported cracked windows and a broken boundary wall, but apparently no significant structural damage to the high-rises next to the demolished towers. The closest residential complex was just nine metres away and the residents had complained that the illegal towers blocked their view. A team from Edifice Engineering and South Africa’s Jet Demolitions – the two companies that carried out the challenging task – the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) and the Noida Authority began a structural audit of the adjoining buildings. Water sprinklers and anti-smog guns were activated at the site soon after the demolition to help contain the dust, an official said. Officials said the demolition conducted by the “waterfall implosion” technique left an estimated 35,000 cubic metres or 55,000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes of debris, including concrete rubble, steel and iron bars that would take three months to be disposed of. Congress to vote for new president on October 17 The [Congress presidential elections will be held on October 17]( the party announced, after the election schedule was endorsed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday. This was the first meeting of the CWC after exit of the party’s longest serving general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, but in the brief virtual meeting, none of the members raked up his exit or expressed solidarity with the Gandhi family who were at the centre of Mr. Azad’s attack in his resignation letter. There were also no fresh appeals from CWC members asking Mr. Gandhi to return to the chair. Ms. Gandhi, chairing the meeting, said the meeting was only to discuss the schedule and no other issue will be discussed. Former President Mr. Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen on one screen. Both of them did not speak during the brief meeting. The entire CWC participated in the meeting including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The meeting lasted for less than 30 minutes. [K.C. Venugopal, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ajay Maken, Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and other members attend the Congress Working Committee meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi on August 28, 2022. ] The president’s post has been with the Gandhi family for over two decades now. As reported by The Hindu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the front runner for the post, after the Gandhi family’s decision to withdraw from the contest.The election process will begin on September 24 and culminate on October 17 where in case of a contest votes will be cast. The electoral college comprises of over 9,000 delegates. During the meeting, according to the sources, senior party leader Anand Sharma, who is also one the prominent members of G-23 group along with Mr. Azad questioned the sanctity of the electoral rolls.He said he had received many complaints from colleagues from different States thatthey were in the dark about meetings of primary members at the block-committee and district-committee level who elected the delegates for the AICC chief’s elections. He said the list of delegates should be published and pasted at the block, DCC and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) levels. Congress president Ms. Gandhi asked Mr. Mistry to clarify, in response to which Mr. Mistry, according to sources, said that these lists have been verified.He also said, that the list would be made available to the PCC and to any candidate who wishes to contest. At the press conference, held after the CWC meeting, when reporters raised questions about Mr. Sharma’s intervention, party’s general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh asserted that no questions were asked. But Mr. Mistry said, “Those who have raised this question have gone through this very process. So I won’t want to comment on it.” Later, in a tweet, Mr. Ramesh again insisted that no questions were raised on the electoral process. “There is some dubious ‘source-based’ plantation going on that questions were raised in CWC meeting today on the Congress President’s election process and schedule. This is to make absolutely clear that nobody raised any question or any doubt.” Sources, also said, that this CWC meeting could be Ms. Gandhi’s very last one and to avoid any embarrassing or awkward exchanges, it was decided at an informal meeting of a few CWC members to omit any references to Mr. Azad or make fresh appeals for Mr. Gandhi’s return. The party however, is cautious of not conceding the space in J&K where Mr. Azad after his exit from Congress is widely expected to start his own party. On Monday, party’s J&K in-charge Rajni Patil will be visiting the State and holding a series of meetings with State leadership to take stock of the situation after Mr. Azad’s exit. The party insists that only a select few party leaders who were close to Mr. Azad have left along with him and the party unit remains more or less intact. J&J’s talc-based powder still on sale India is part of the “worldwide portfolio assessment and commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based baby powder portfolio” of the pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J). In its statement, the company said that as a result of this transition, talc-based Johnson’s baby powder would be discontinued globally in 2023. The announcement earlier this month comes two years after J&J discontinued the product in the U.S. and Canada. Child rights groups, parents and doctors have been questioning the continued availability of the product here in India. Indian drug regulators have been silent on this issue, allowing wide availability and sale of this product in the country. The company has said “[in India there is no plan to withdraw this talc and that there will be no recall](. The product is safe and will be available till manufacturing stops.” It reiterated that it continuously evaluates and optimises its portfolio to best position the business for long-term growth. “This transition will help simplify our product offerings, deliver sustainable innovation, and meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends,” it maintained while admitting that the cornstarch-based Johnson’s Baby Powder was already sold in countries around the world. The company’s decision to stop production comes following multiple lawsuits from women who claim that the product caused ovarian cancer, due to the alleged contamination of asbestos, a known carcinogen. It, however, has maintained that its older product (which is not cornstarch-based) is safe. “Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms that talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,” the company said in its statement. “In India, the company is late in implementing the strategy, which has been adapted in the western part of the world. If a product is being discontinued for manufacturing, why should it be sold and why not recall it,” asked Suresh Kumar Panuganti, lead consultant, paediatric critical care, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad. For decades now, doctors have advised parents not to use talcum powder on babies, even if it does not contain asbestos, cautioning that inhaling the talc can lead to respiratory illnesses. India refers to Taiwan Strait ‘militarisation’ India has for the first time [referred to what it called “the militarisation of the Taiwan Strait”]( marking a rare instance of New Delhi appearing to comment on China’s actions towards Taiwan. The reference to Taiwan, in a statement late on Saturday issued by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, marked a more pronounced expression of New Delhi’s views over the situation in the Taiwan Strait than its previous response on August 12 to China’s military drills, conducted in the wake of the visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not refer to “militarisation” of the Strait, only saying India was “concerned at recent developments” and “urge[d] exercise of restraint, avoidance of unilateral actions to change status quo, de-escalation of tensions and efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region”. When asked at an August 12 briefing if India would, as Beijing had requested, reiterate its commitment to a “One China policy”, the MEA said “India’s relevant policies are well-known and consistent” and “do not require reiteration”. The latest reference to Taiwan came amid a spat with China over the visit this month of a Chinese military tracking vessel, Yuan Wang 5, to Hambantota in Sri Lanka. Responding sharply to remarks made by the Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka referring to “aggression” faced by Sri Lanka from its “northern neighbour”, the Indian High Commission termed his comments “a violation of basic diplomatic etiquette” saying they “may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude”. The High Commission said the statement was “in response to queries concerning the article by Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka which, inter alia, drew connection between militarisation of Taiwan Straits and visit of China’s Yuan Wang 5 ship to Hambantota.” In Brief The criticism of India by the Western countries on its imports of Russian crude oil while exempting themselves from their "own illegitimate sanctions" is [a reflection of their unprincipled position and double standards, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov has said](. In an interview to PTI, the envoy said trade between India and Russia has been on an upswing and both sides have several payment systems in place and that there is an option even of using currencies of third countries with certain "partners" in Asia and in West Asia offering viable choices. Historically, Russia has not been a major source of fossil fuel for India but the imports of discounted Russian crude oil have seen a massive increase in the last few months, notwithstanding rising disquiet in many Western capitals. 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