The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has proposed to adopt advanced technology to speed up demolition in the city.
Tightening
its noose around illegal structures, BDA started demolition work of two
major buildings in the last two months. One of the buildings was a
half-constructed five-storey structure in Ashok Nagar and another was a
commercial shopping complex on Janpath near Master Canteen. In both the
cases, BDA had to stop the demolition after the respective owners
procured a stay order from the High Court to stop the demolition.
In
case of the Ashok Nagar building, the authorities got five days to
bring down the structure and in case of the shopping complex, only two
days.
BDA sources said they usually face problems in bringing
together various logistics like equipment, paper work, legal permission
and the police force.
One major problem faced by the development
authorities is that they do not have advanced technology for carrying
out the demolition. BDA had approved use of implosion technology. But
the contractor, who is supposed to provide the technology,
has
reportedly asked the authorities to club more than two demolitions
together and only then can the technology be provided. Since the
contractor was the only one to respond to BDA’s global tender, they are
still trying to work out logistics.
BDA’s Enforcement Wing is now trying to rope in advanced machinery like smaller excavators and hydraulic ladders.
“Since
we know we have limited time, we try to inflict as much damage to the
structure as we can. In case of Ashok Nagar demolition, the structure
has been damaged completely and its owner will have to work on it
afresh,” said a senior BDA official.
