When Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy’s brainchild Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) went after a few farmhouses and structures constructed on encroached lands near lakes in Hyderabad a few weeks ago, everyone welcomed it in the belief that removal of encroachments would help the city. Fast forward to the present, that belief has been replaced with fear as the tentacles of the government began to reach the doorstep of thousands of people, all either middle class or poor, living for years in the Musi buffer zone.
The powerful lot owning farmhouses, guest houses and villas in other areas have all but been forgotten. In the name of the Musi River Development project, the government appears entirely focused on removing the encroachments on either side of the 55-km stretch of the river. The problem is, there are around 10,200 structures of all kinds in the region. The authorities, who are on the job of surveying, have understandably been met with stiff resistance. On the other hand, the HYDRAA bulldozed illegal buildings in Ameenpur including one of a family that celebrated a housewarming ceremony only recently. A woman in Kukadpally died by suicide over fears that her daughters’ houses would be demolished. It is obvious that thousands of families are going through a nightmare. The question is, should the government go ahead bulldozing unauthorised structures? It is not a simple question of yes or no. Successive governments turned a blind eye to encroachments as real estate boomed and local officials issued permissions left, right and centre. Properties were registered and the government has been collecting taxes. In normal course, if a builder claims to have all permissions, many customers do not check nor are they even aware of buffer zones. And on top of it, if lower level officials collude with builders and grant permits, there is no way for any customer to doubt the building’s legality. At the same time, a responsible government cannot continue to ignore the encroachments since river Musi might flood the region in the future as it did in the past.
The solution is neither upending the lives of thousands within a short span nor let things be as they are. We suggest the government stop its demolition job for now and allay the apprehensions of people by precisely calculating compensation and rehabilitation. Demolition and rehabilitation cannot be a simultaneous job when people have been living in the area for years having constructed houses by the sweat of their brow. Give them choices of either relocating to government-built flats or accept compensation. The government must understand that often, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.