KARACHI: The city administration is learnt to have informed the Supreme Court of Pakistan that despite certain ‘unavoidable challenges’ on a daily basis, especially public protests and threats to contractor, the demolition work on illegally-constructed Nasla Tower was under way without any interruption as side walls of all floors had been demolished.

Informed sources said that Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon on Friday submitted a detailed report to the apex court regarding the progress and challenges of the demolition work, which was going in ‘full swing’ with the help of heavy machinery and manual labour round-the-clock despite the ‘worst case scenario’.

Stating the current status of demolition, the report said that sidewalls of all floors had been demolished and de-rooting of all floors had been completed from centre, leaving some area for walking of labourers.

Also read: SC orders demolition of Karachi's Nasla Tower within a week

It said that both the lifts had been removed and the last step i.e. structural columns had been started top-down.

The apex court was informed that over 400 labourers, seven excavators, 25 demolition hammer machines a heavy machinery excavator with jackhammer were employed in the demolition of Nasla Tower, built over 1,121 square yards on Plot No193-A in the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society at Sharea Faisal.

The Supreme Court on Nov 28 had ordered the commissioner to double the number of labourers from 200 to 400 to demolish the tower within a week.

The commissioner in his report stated that certain measures were also taken for the safety of the public and property.

The safety measures included the hanging of safety nets around the four sides of the building, installation of barriers, establishment of traffic police picket to facilitate the public movement to adopt the alternative route and deployment of police and Rangers.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2021