No mobiles allowed near Moulivakkam demolition

Ponlingam, Managing Director of Maglink Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd, a Tirupur-based firm that will oversee the demolition of the building, said all arrangements have been made to ensure the process is executed without a hitch.

On June 28, 2014, one of the two buildings which were under construction, collapsed, killing 65 workers. In May 2016, the second tower was declared unsafe and permission for demolition was granted by the Supreme Court. Ponlingam disclosed that mobile phones would not be allowed to be operated near the building during the implosion. “The detonation will be remotely controlled. Mobile phone signals can be dangerous during the detonation process as they interfere with the remote control mechanism,” explained Ponlingam. 

“The explosives will be placed on four to five floors of the building from 11 am onwards. The detonation will take place around 4 pm. It will only take around 10 minutes, much like a firecracker, after which the building will collapse by itself. This will ensure that the debris does not scatter far away. After the detonation, a trained team will conduct a check, after which clearing of the debris will begin,” he said.

Schools have been declared closed tomorrow in the locality. “The traffic on Kundrathur Main Road will be diverted through inner lanes. People have been evacuated from the vicinity, he added.