Kathmandu Metropolitan City is set to import new equipment to accelerate the process of demolishing buildings that were seriously damaged by the massive earthquake of April 25 and subsequent aftershocks.

Utter Regmi, Chief of Physical Development and Construction Department at KMC, said, “The metropolis has already asked the Central Natural Calamity Relief Committee for the arrangement of state-of-the-art equipment to demolish high-rise buildings and seriously damaged houses.”

According to Regmi, talks are underway to import a five-tonne concrete cutter. The concrete cutter operates manually and is lifted by a crane to cut concrete walls, pillars as well as beams of damaged structures. It costs around Rs 36 million. An international team of experts will be deployed to assist and train local human resources to operate the concrete cutter for the demolition of structures.

The concrete cutter will also be used in demolishing storeys that were illegally added without approved designs. The houses built without following the National Building Code will be demolished as well. Partially damaged houses, structures with deep cracks and precariously standing buildings have been posing threats to people and neighburing houses.

“People will be discouraged to construct houses against the code if we demolish the illegal storeys with the new technology and equipment,” he said, adding that the house owners will have to bear the demolition cost.

The Nepali Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have been demolishing houses that are up to three storeys, but have not taken any step to demolish the houses taller than four-storeys, citing the lack of equipment and technology. Cutters, explosives and modern equipment are required to pull down high-rise apartments and buildings.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has been working with the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority and KMC for the demolition of partially damaged houses.

A total of 4,054 earthquake-damaged buildings, including 1,451 in Kathmandu and 1,998 in Lalitpur, need to be demolished. Among them, more than 900 houses have already been demolished by seven teams of security personnel.

As many as 407 houses have been demolished in Bhaktapur so far. Demolishing 1,752 buildings inside the Valley — 822 in Kathmandu, 630 in Bhaktapur and 300 in Lalitpur — was deemed a tough task due to the lack of proper equipment and skilled human resources. Shiva Hari Sharma, Deputy Director General at Building Division of DUDBC, said, “The government is trying to approach India, China, Japan and the US to procure necessary equipment to demolish the damaged multi-storey concrete buildings.”

Excavators, loader machines, cranes as well as hammers and drilling machines are being used to demolish buildings.

source: republica,10 june 2015