Nagpur: Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court expressed strong displeasure over delay in demolishing illegal construction at Poonam Chambers, questioning NMC’s explanation that unusually large pillars were slowing the operation.When the civic body cited the size of the pillars and the need to protect the remaining authorised structure, the court orally asked: “The pillars were large — did you not know this earlier? Did you realise it only now?”A division bench comprising Justices Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Raj Wakode heard the matter concerning notices issued by NMC to remove alleged illegal construction at Poonam Tower and Poonam Chambers. Builder N Kumar has challenged the notices before High Court. The petition will be heard again on Thursday.Demolition of illegal construction at Poonam Tower has been completed. Work at Poonam Chambers, however, remains incomplete, prompting the court to seek an explanation from the civic body for the delay.NMC told court the pillars at Poonam Chambers are large and their demolition requires caution to ensure the remaining authorised portion of the building is not damaged. It said the structural stability of the building would therefore have to be assessed before proceeding further.Court questioned why structural implications had not been assessed before the demolition process began. It directed NMC to explain the delay and file an affidavit specifying when demolition of the illegal construction would be completed.
