Hyderabad: Demolition drive leaves 200 families homeless

The families have been living on a 6-acre land in Basavataraka Nagar in Gachibowli since over a decade. Revenue dept officials demolished their houses saying they are illegal constructions.

After an earthmover cleared the encroachments at Basavataraka Nagar in Gachibowli on Wednesday, residents of the locality whose houses were demolished try to retrieve their belongings | S Senbagapandi

HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed in Basavataraka Nagar, Gachibowli on Wednesday when the Revenue Department along with police officials demolished over 200 houses which were built on government land.

Most of them have been in the locality for a couple of decades. They even have Aadhar cards which had the Basavataraka Nagar address. This apart, the residents even had electricity connections.

According to the Rajendranagar RDO, Chandrakala, around six acres of land on which these people built houses are under Survey No 37 which belongs to the government. "We informed thrice earlier to vacate the place but they did not listen to us," Chandrakala said.

Officials said that around 150 families have vacated the area and the remaining would leave the place in a day. "They have asked us to provide them with 2BHKs and we have already passed on the request to the district collector," Chandrakala added.