After a nine-year-old legal battle, and almost seven months of pre-planning, Noida Supertech twin towers were reduced to nothing on Sunday amid claps and applause from spectators. The demolition of Apex and Ceyane towers in Noida is a strong statement against construction of illegal and unsafe complexes in Delhi and surrounding areas. This spirit needs to be taken forward to initiate stringent action against innumerable constructions in Delhi — not necessarily through demolitions. The "controlled implosion" using "waterfall technique" was carried out with a fair degree of caution so as to inflict minimal damage to the environment and surrounding residents. Still, the demolition is reported to have left behind around 80,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste, of which 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes will be used for filling the site and the rest will be sent to a construction and demolition plant for processing. The immediate challenge is to manage this waste in a manner that causes the least possible threat to human health in the region. The Noida Authority and others are arranging for water sprinklers, and people are hoping for rains that would settle the dust. However, more detailed examination of the post-demolition surrounding for chemical complications need to be done for ensuring a foolproof exit from the situation. Apart from increasing the concentration of Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and PM 2.5 in the environment, the demolition may likely have led to release of other chemical by-products as well, which can cause respiratory issues, skin diseases, and allergies — particularly among vulnerable sections of population including elderly and children. Increase in the concentration of lead is also reported to potentially result in headaches, silicosis, irritability etc. The gaps in health vulnerabilities need to be plugged in with extreme caution. Though the twin towers may be the tallest skyscrapers to have been demolished in India, these definitely are not the first. In fact, the Indian company that led the demolition process was also involved in the demolition of Maradu building a couple of years ago, on account of violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The prior experience of the company might serve as a source of reassurance. Mid-term safety protocols can also be drawn based on past experiences. Once health risks are ruled out completely, the twin tower demolition can be tagged as an absolute success. Regardless of side-effects to the environment, the demolition was long overdue. Allahabad High Court, way back in 2014, had ruled the towers to be illegal, ordering its demolition. The Noida Authority and Supertech approached the Supreme Court for relief, but to no avail. The apex court, highlighting the "collusion between the officers of NOIDA and company (Supertech)", had upheld the Allahabad High Court order in August last year. The core point of contention was that the original plan of 2005, approved by NOIDA, was modified in 2009 without taking the consent of flat-owners — resulting in violation of Uttar Pradesh Apartments Act, 2010. Owing to the replacement of the garden area with the twin towers, safety norms and minimum distance requirements were flouted — urging the Supreme Court to uphold the order of demolition. The entire episode presents a worrying point of concern — the inconsistencies in the working of Noida authority. That the Supreme Court didn't shy away from highlighting a 'collusion' between authorities and the company, is crystal-clear evidence of a nexus which is not a mystery to anyone. This is also an indication that many similar illegal buildings may be existing unidentified in the region. Shifting the focus slightly away from NOIDA, which is still a well-planned region, we have an unknown number of illegal and unsafe constructions in highly populated areas of New Delhi. Recently, a fire in one such complex made big headlines, though it was not an oddity. Since Supertech suffered a huge amount of money in the twin tower demolition, it was very much a punitive or deterrent action. It was badly needed to send a strong message that authorities and companies cannot act in connivance with each other, flouting the laws of the land. It was, however, more of a symbolic move. Unspecified proportions of illegal and unsafe constructions are waiting to be dealt with — not just in rich suburbs but also in Delhi NCR's slums and ill-organised industrial areas. Can the razing of the twin towers set the momentum for solving a problem which is far more complex than it seems?