KARACHI: The city administration is learnt to have sought directions of the Supreme Court to finalise the demolition of Nasla Tower as one firm sought Rs220 million for razing the high-rise via controlled implosion while the other offered free-of-cost service via mechanical means.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Sunday that Commissioner Muhammed Iqbal Memon had submitted a report to the apex court informing the pros and cons of both the methods proposed by the two shortlisted companies.

He informed the SC that no company or authority had experience in demolition of a building in urban area through controlled implosion.

He said that a committee of technical experts was constituted for assessing and evaluating the expressions of interest by different companies.

SC asked to decide method for razing the 15-storey building

The SC was informed that the committee recommended a firm, Hi-Tech Electronics and Machinery/DG Demolition, which offered demolition by implosion with all safety measures, seeking 60-day time for demolition and post-demolition work.

The commissioner’s report said the company had given a cost of Rs220m for demolition, including rights on debris and attached valuable material.

It said the building designs had been shared with the firm so that it could prepare a demolition plan.

It was also informed in the report that the committee had also recommended a firm, ANI Enterprises, for demolition of the building through conventional way i.e., with the assistance of machinery and manual labour.

The SC was informed that the firm had given 90 days for the demolition and removal of debris from the site free of charge, claiming the debris inclusive of valuable material. Additionally, the company also offered to pay Rs15m in the government exchequer.

Besides, the SC was informed that the Sindh Building Control Authority had been directed to start pre-demolition work, removal of windows and fulfil other pre-demolition requirement at the earliest and give progress report on a daily basis.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2021