With the KMC not likely to get its money back from the Nandaram market traders' association, it has no option but to part with its coffers.

According to rules, however, since a private property usually gets damaged by fire when safety norms are flouted, it is the owner who is supposed to bear the cost.

“Since the traders’ association was against pulling down the illegal parts, there is no chance of recovering the money that will be spent in the process,” said a senior engineer of the department.

The civic body's demolition squad will take care of the process. This is the first time that the KMC is investing so much in pulling down damaged buildings. It had spent Rs 4 lakh on the Firpo market fire.

“We invested Rs 4 lakh on reconstructing the Firpo market fire. But compared to the expenses on Nandaram, it seems insignificant now,” said Gora Chand Mondol, the director general of Buildings department.

According to the KMC, the exercise will take three months to complete.

Mondol said they have decided to hire experts from technical institutes — Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, or IIT, Kharagpur — to judge the stability of the building.