Bhubaneswar Development Authority workers demolish an illegal portion of a building near Kalinga Stadium Square. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 29: Non-co-operation among various departments and procedural hurdles has been delaying the use of implosion technology for demolishing unauthorised high-rise buildings in the city.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority was planning to raze the upper two floors of a multi-storey building near Kalinga Stadium using implosion technology, but its officials had to resort to manual demolishing on January 27. They complained that the permission from various government agencies such as police, fire service and controller of explosives for carrying out the controlled blasting could not be procured in time following which they were forced to carry out the demolition using excavators.

Implosion technology uses controlled blasting method to demolish unauthorised structures in lesser time. With the help of this technology, one can destroy an entire building or a portion of the structure without affecting any other portion. But its first use in the state is delayed because of lack of knowledge among officials in other agencies.

Though the Bhubaneswar Development Authority vice-chairman Vishal Kumar Dev had written to the police commissioner for permission, sources in the office said that the police were not aware of the technology and its working process, which was why they were not issuing the permission. Even senior police officials did not know who was supposed to issue the permission.

“One of our men went to the police and the officials there kept on sending him to various wings, but did not issue the permission. As the police commissioner was out of the city, none dared to sign on the permission paper,” said a development authority official.

Another officer of the development authority said several issues need to be taken care of. While the deputy chief controller of explosives gives the permission for the concerned persons to carry out the explosion, the development authority has to find out authentic dealers of explosives for purchasing the materials. Luckily they got one from Jatni.

“We need blanket permission from all the concerned agencies so that it would not affect our drive. This is a newer technology for us and it would make our work easier. We hope to get the permissions shortly,” said enforcement officer of the development authority Deba Prasad Dash.