HYDERABAD: In a crackdown against footpath encroachments, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management wing has demolished as many as 620 unauthorised structures out of the planned 673.
During the previous demolition drives held this year, GHMC razed over 12,000 structures that have come up on footpaths on main stretches of the city. The drive to reclaim the footpaths was started at the end of June this year.
As many as 673 encroachments both moveable, immovable and permanent structures covering about 2.8 km have been identified on three stretches, Road No, 6 Junction to OU Signal Junction and OU Signal Junction to Road No, 6 Junction via Shivam Road (358), Sree Ramana Theater to Ali Cafe Junction and Ali Cafe Junction to Sree Ramana Theater (315). Six special teams were formed to remove the encroachments.
The EVDM on Saturday demolished about 620 illegal structures. Though there was little opposition against the demolition by the vendors and hawkers, the GHMC with help police has whisked them away.
GHMC officials led by EVDM director, Viswajit Kampati monitored the demolition drive.
According to him, the city has about 9,100 km of roads with 54 lakh registered vehicles in the city and another five lakh vehicles from other districts are plying on the roads, the footpaths meant for pedestrians are encroached by hawkers, forcing the pedestrians to walk on the roads leading to accidents.