Excavation for building of cellars barred for 3 months

In view of the monsoon season, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has directed the assistant city planners (ACPs) and supervising officers (SOs) to  ensure that no new excavation of cellars i

HYDERABAD: In view of the monsoon season, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has directed the assistant city planners (ACPs) and supervising officers (SOs) to  ensure that no new excavation of cellars is undertaken for the next three months. In case excavation is in an initial stage, it should be stopped immediately.

In case excavation has been completed, town planning officials should ensure that all precautionary measures, including soil strengthening and stabilising the structure of retaining walls as per the laid-down standards, are taken.

People living in sloped terrain areas and along  retaining walls should be alerted. The ACPs and SOs should inspect all the dilapidated structures and issue notices under  relevant GHMC Acts, and take steps for evacuating people living in such structures.

The town planning staff should also paste caution notices at such buildings and take follow-up action for demolition of the dilapidated structures to prevent any damage in case the old houses crumble.
Last year, a few under-construction buildings collapsed where excavation of cellars was being taken up next to the construction site. In some cases, retaining walls collapsed leading, in turn, to collapse of the structures and loss of human life.  GHMC has now instructed ACPs and SOs to conduct special drives and visit all the construction sites where cellars are coming up. GHMC senior officials warned that any laxity on the part of the town planning staff at the circle and zonal levels would be viewed seriously and stringent action initiated against such staff.

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