Anticipation and excitement filled the area around Supertech twin towers in Noida as the time for the demolition of the nearly 100-metre-tall illegal structures drew closer on Sunday, with officials busy in last-minute preparations to ensure nothing goes wrong.
Ahead of the court-mandated implosion of the buildings scheduled at 2:30 pm, heavy police deployment was seen in the area where authorities had also stationed water tankers and anti-smog guns.
The roads in and around the twin towers were heavily barricaded with authorities not allowing any vehicles there. The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway will remain shut between 2:15 pm to 2:45 pm, officials said.
Officials also performed puja in the morning to ensure safe demolition of the buildings.
"We all are super excited and confident that nothing will go wrong. We are ready for the big day. We have spent weeks preparing for it," said blast specialist Cethan Dutta, who will press the button to commence the explosion.
"We are checking the park and nearby areas to ensure no person is out. Officials also checked the explosives in the buildings to see if everything is all right," said Dutta.
The buildings adjacent to the twin towers have been covered with fibre cloths to prevent dust.
All the residents from two adjoining societies of the twin towers have also been evacuated. A 500-metre radius around the towers has been marked as an "exclusive zone".
Media vehicles have been allowed via special entry and exit points, while the movement of locals has been restricted.
Noida traffic police has also made preparation to avoid inconvenience to people.
DCP Traffic Ganesh Prasad Saha told PTI, "We are informing people through helpline number. Google maps have also been updated. There is no problem with traffic."
The evacuation of residents of Emerald Court and ATS Village societies was scheduled to be completed by 7 am but took a little longer, police officials said.