HYDERABAD: Ninety per cent of the buildings in the old Secretariat have been demolished. After a case in the High Court regarding a ban on the entry of journalists, mediapersons were taken to the Secretariat complex on Monday. The J and L Blocks are being demolished currently. Officials estimate that these will be flattened in the next couple of days. All the other structures have already been demolished.
The government expects that around 4,500 truckloads of construction and demolition (C&D) debris would be generated. So far, 2,000 truckloads of debris has been removed. Once abuzz with administrative and political activity, especially during the separate Telangana movement, the only buzz in the old Secretariat today is that of earthmovers. The iron extracted from the buildings, big boulders and debris lie scattered around the 25-odd acres.
Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said the government had not allowed anyone into the Secretariat premises as there is a risk of accidents while demolishing high-rise buildings. But, following requests from the media, the government allowed journalists inside to report on the demolition works, he said.