File picture of BDA workers demolishing an illegally-constructed building at Ashok Nagar in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, March 12: The development authority has started exploring alternate hi-tech options to demolish illegally-constructed buildings after being denied cop nod to implosion technology.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority has called for proposal requests from private parties to carry out demolition using technologies other than implosion.

Sources said that the alternate technologies would most likely involve concrete cutter machines that can easily be used for such purposes.

At present, the authorities are using their own employees and excavator machines to demolish illegal structures.

The development authority had signed a pact with an Indore-based firm to carry out the drive using implosion technology that uses controlled blasting to demolish unauthorised structures in lesser time. This technology claims to have the ability to destroy an entire building or a portion of it without affecting any other portion. However, its first use in the state has been delayed allegedly because of lack of knowledge among officials in other agencies, including the police.

“We have called for the proposal from private parties to use their technology in demolition drives in the city. We hope the new technology will not delay our work and that we will be able to carry out our drive without any hindrance,” said a BDA official.

The BDA officials had invited the Indore firm owner, S.B. Sarvate, in January third week to use implosion technology while they were planning to raze the upper two floors of a multi-storey building near Kalinga Stadium, but it could not be done because of a delay in permission from the police. The then BDA vice-chairman, Vishal Kumar Dev, had written to the police commissioner for granting permission, but the police allegedly sat on it till date. Thus, the development authority was forced to use excavator and manual force for carrying out their work.

However, senior police officials said that they had to verify many things and ensure safety of the people residing in nearby areas before giving permission to such a technology.

“We are not quite convinced with the safety aspects of the technology,” said a senior police officer.