HYDERABAD: The demolition of the multistoreyed commercial complex, Deccan Knitwear Sports Accessories, in Nallagutta, which was gutted in a fire on January 19, will cost between Rs 60 and Rs 70 lakh. This includes the clearing of burnt waste and shifting of construction and debris waste to the C&D plants. A preliminary report submitted by NIT-Warangal Director NV Ramana Rao suggested that the structural stability of the building has weakened, and it should be demolished. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been asked to conduct Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) before the demolition takes place.
More than 60 per cent of the building has been damaged, and a private agency has been engaged to assess the damage. Three to four floor slabs have collapsed, except for the pillars, while the building’s two basement floors have been gutted. As the slabs are collapsing due to the weakening of the structure, two missing persons have not been found even after five days of the fire incident.
Don’t demolish, plead relatives of missing persons
Relatives of the missing persons are pleading with officials not to demolish the structure until their skeletal remains are found. So far, only the remains of one body have been found, but the identity of the person is not clear. Due to the presence of burnt material in the building, the search for the other two persons has become difficult. Fire department personnel and DRF teams are searching the entire building to find them.
The use of implosion technology to bring down the building has been ruled out as it is situated in a densely populated commercial area. A large number of automobiles, car accessories, and others are located on Minister’s Road. Business worth crores of rupees is conducted here every day. Since the last four days, all the shops from DV Colony Road to Nallagutta have been closed by the police and were partially opened on Monday. As a result, the business has come to a standstill, and traders are worried as to how they will pay rents and salarie