Four days after the Chennai Silks building caught fire, the South Usman Road was finally opened for pedestrians on Sunday and the major outlets in the area resumed sales. However, the flyover still remains shut.
Only 30% of the demolition work is complete as the only access is through the rear of the building. The New Indian Express reported that more equipment was brought in for the work.
Two more jawcutters were brought on Pinjala Subramanaiam street on Sunday, to supplement the four that were already there at the site. The corporation officials had claimed that the demolition work will be over in three days but the work might take about a week.
The debris used as a ramp seems to slow down the demolition work as it was difficult to balance the vehicles on top of it. On Sunday also, minor fires were reported within the building.
A worker at the site told ToI that only 10% of the building has been demolished. Further, they can determine how much time it will take to demolish the building only after they resume the work on Monday.
All the shops and showrooms on the South Usman Road had been asked to remain shut since Wednesday. However, after the shops opened, the crowd was way lesser than usual in T Nagar on weekends.
Dinesh, store manager of Khazana jewellers told The New Indian Express that they were granted permission to reopen their shops through the association of shops in Usman Road but they did not get many customers after they reopened.
The stretch from Khazana Jewellers to the Saravana Selvararathnam Textile showroom in Usman Road has been cordoned off by the police.
A police officer told The Times of India that shops within 100 meters of the demolition will remain shut until the demolition process is over.
Source: The News Minute