The Mumbai-based firm targets a six-month period to demolish the Kochi Chander Kunj towers and remove the debris

The twin towers of Chander Kunj Army Apartment Complex in Vyttil, Kochi. File | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Edifice Engineering, the Mumbai-based firm selected to demolish the two towers of Chander Kunj Army Housing Complex in Kochi, Keralam, hopes to complete the demolition within four months of handing over the 208 flats and clear the debris within another two months.

A meeting of the District Board of Selectmen, set up to oversee the demolition and disposal of the flats, gave the company a six-month deadline for the entire exercise.

Edifice Engineering and South Africa’s Jet Demolition conducted a two-day inspection of the flats in Towers ‘B’ and ‘C’ in June this year. The two firms had earlier overseen the demolition of Maradu housing complexes in Kochi.

The process has now gained momentum after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by PK Unique Project Limited, a Tamil Nadu-based company, challenging the Collectorate’s decision to award the demolition contract to Edifice.

“We will start sending our subcontractors to the site to assess the measures that need to be taken and how they can be implemented, including issues related to the habitability of the ‘A’ tower and the transfer of utilities. We expect to sign the demolition contract next week and get full custody of the apartments within the next fortnight,” said Uttkarsh Mehta, partner at The Edifice Engineering.

A team of 100

The company will deploy a 100-member team to the demolition process. However, the actual mobilization of the team on site will begin only after the completion of the takeover of the flats. A plan for the disposal of the debris will be developed later, as the focus is currently on preparing the apartments and carrying out the demolition.

Saji Thomas, president of the Chander Kunj Army Towers Flat Owners Association (CATAOA), said that the District Collectorate has allowed Edifice Engineering teams to visit the flats from Friday.

After a previous visit in June, Mr Mehta said the actual demolition could take just seconds, with the push of a button triggering a sequence in which the towers collapse one by one, reducing the impact on the ground. However, the company emphasized the need to carry out the demolition as soon as possible in view of the poor condition of the structures. It was found that while the buildings were stable enough to undergo implosion, corrosion had advanced in several areas. Since then, three months have been lost, mainly due to litigation.

Ensuring the safety of residents in the ‘A’ tower, which is to be preserved, is seen as the biggest logistical challenge, although the company remains confident of sparing it from any structural damage. It also assured that nearby apartment buildings and the Kochi Metro line, which is more than 50 meters away from the hotel, will remain untouched. The firm claimed to have experience in carrying out demolitions without damaging the structure even within a nine meter radius.

Published – October 2, 2026 11:45 AM IST