Workers demolish Migmar Lepcha’s building at Baluwakhani on Tuesday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, Oct. 12: Experts from a Hyderabad-based firm have been hired by the Sikkim government to dismantle quake-hit structures that pose a threat to adjoining buildings and human lives.

First on the team’s list was a nine-storeyed private building at Baluwakhani, the partial demolition of which started last evening. Like this building, Gangtok is dotted with structures that have come up flouting the height restriction of five storeys.

Five more damaged structures will be dismantled by a 13-member team from the company assisted by around 25 labourers from the state urban development and housing department.

At 5pm, 10 workers along with two supervisors and one team leader of the company that specialises in such demolitions entered the tilted building owned by Migmar Lepcha. They were armed with drills and steel cutters and first started with removing the debris from the rooftop.

The building had moved from its vertical position and leaned against the adjoining five-storeyed building of state sports secretary and Bhaichung Bhutia’s uncle Karma P. Bhutia on September 23, four days after the earthquake. Karma’s building, which collapsed as well, will also be dismantled.

One person had been crushed to death when Migmar Lepcha’s house had partially collapsed.

“We have identified six buildings for complete demolition in the first phase. The demolition will be done by a private company from Hyderabad assisted by our workers,” said the chief engineer of the urban development department C. Zangpo.

Apart from the two buildings at Baluwakhani, the other structures marked out for demolition are — one each at Tadong, Rangyek, 5th Mile and Zero Point. All these buildings are in Gangtok.

The process of pulling down these buildings and removing the debris will take some six months and cost around Rs 20 lakh each.

The expenses might vary depending on the size of the buildings and degree of difficulty involved in razing them. Expenses will be worked out with the company, said an official.

Use of implosives to bring down the columns of the buildings has been ruled out because of the hilly terrain and the houses that are situated in the lower slopes.

The general practice in plain areas for dismantling such structures is to set off implosives tied to the pillars. The secretary of the Tobjer Dorji said expenses of the demolition will be borne by the government.

“The demolition process will be done in a very systematic manner and the process includes removal of the debris after the building is dismantled,” he said.