After a series of raps by the Telangana High Court during the past one week over illegal constructions in the city, GHMC’s town planning wing has initiated a drive to pull down illegal structures across the six zones of Hyderabad.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the corporation has brought down a total of 47 structures in the city, including illegal buildings, extra floors and parking space.
“We have pulled down 24 unauthorised structures on Tuesday, and the remaining on Wednesday. The drive will continue for the next few days,” informed Director (Town Planning), K. Srinivasa Rao. A total of 63 structures have been identified for demolition across the city in the first phase, he said.
Focus is on extra floors built/being built beyond the permitted limit and structures housing commercial establishments in parking lots. However, quarters of security guards and watchmen, which are usually built in the stilt space, were not being touched. While many structures are still under construction, the corporation is not baulking from pulling down even buildings occupied by people.
“We are focussing only on structures against which we had already issued notices twice or thrice, and wherever court had ordered for removal of such structures,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
More than 2,000 illegal structures or parts thereof across the city are under GHMC’s radar, but no action has been taken as the owners got injunction orders from the court soon after receiving notices. “We issue the first showcause notice when someone lodges a complaint against such a structure. Subsequently, one or two more notices will be issued before taking action,” says Mr.Srinivas Rao.On the first day, structures in locations such as Uppal, Hayatnagar, Chaitanyapuri, L.B. Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, Musheerabad, Tolichowki, Raidurg, Chandanagar, Madhapur, Ramachandrapuram, Patancheru, Kukatpally, Qutbullahpur, Malkajgiri and Tarnaka were targeted.
On the second day, structures in Amberpet, Chaitanyapuri, Saroornagar, Anandnagar, Rajendranagar, Gudimalkapur, Mehdipatnam, Humayun Nagar, Gachibowli, Madhapur, Miyapur, Ramachandrapuram, NRSA Colony, Fatehnagar, Kukatpally and Seetaphalmandi were pulled down.
