GHMC to take up demolition of fire-hit building at Minister’s Road on Thursday

Preparing the ground for pulling down the structure, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has completed the tender process on Wednesday

Hyderabad: The demolition of the commercial complex at Minister’s Road, which has been rendered unstable and unsafe after massive fire raged through it last week, is expected to be taken up on Thursday.

Preparing the ground for pulling down the structure, in which three people went missing when fire took it over but only one charred skeletal remains could be recovered, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has completed the tender process on Wednesday.

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The focus of the civic body has been to pull down the structure safely given its location in the busy street. It has been decided to use a long breaker crane and diamond cutter and incorporate a manual controlled demolition method.

The entire exercise, according to the officials, is expected to complete in five days. Around 15 members would be deployed on the first day and the plan is to pull down the structure without much human intervention and ensuring no one from the demolition team having to be inside the structure.

“As per the plan being drawn up, not one person from the demolition team will enter the building. From the outside, the structure would be dismantled and the beams and columns and beams are brought down using the crane and cutter,” said a GHMC official.

The edges and joints of the structure would be first cut and then the beams and columns are removed using the crane. To ensure the rubble falls down inside, holes would be drilled in the slab and the walls of the building would be pushed inside the structure. Starting with the 5th floor, the demolition exercise would move on to the lower floors, one after another.

Meanwhile, precautionary measures would be in place and apart from cordoning off the impact area, sheet barricading would be in place to ensure the neighbouring properties were not affected. Officials said the demolition would be done following the provisions of local bye-laws and safety measures.