Dhenkanal: A 256 metres tall chimney was demolished Monday at Kurunti village under Motanga police limits of Odapada block in Dhenkanal district. A total of 750 kilograms of explosives were used to demolish the chimney in just seven seconds. The chimney had been built by Lanco Infratech, which was declared insolvent in 2017.
Officials of the district administration and a 20-member team of explosive experts from a Rajasthan-based company led by Anand Sharma jointly carried out the demolition work. Reports said that Lanco Infratech had shut down its plant here due to financial problems. The company managed to sell off most of its stuff as scrap, but the chimney remained. With the huge structure suffering damages, locals residing close to the chimney had been demanding its demolition.
Earlier, the administration with the help of experts had tried twice to demolish the chimney, but failed. This sparked resentment among the locals as they intensified their demands to pull down the chimney. They also said that even though the chimney was constructed in 2010, it has not been put to use. Officials said that when it was built, the chimney was one of the tallest in India.