HYDERABAD: Days after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that his government would deal with encroachments with an iron fist, a massive drive of razing down illegal structures along the course of storm water drains (nalas), lakes and other encroachments in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits has begun. On the first day, the GHMC demolished 39 structures which include eight unauthorised constructions on nalas, three unauthorised structures built by encroaching lakes, 13 dilapidated buildings and another 15 unauthorised constructions (extra floors).
The GHMC identified as many as 28,000 illegal structures built on nalas which are obstructing the free flow of rain water leading to inundation of roads and colonies.
The demolition drive exercise started by pulling down an illegal building at Sadana Bihar Colony, abutting the Kapra Lake nala and also some other structures in Umda Sagar lake. Apart from nalas and lakes, special teams demolished other illegal and dilapidated structures as well. The encroachment drive was also taken up at Qutbullapur area which got submerged in recent rain waters.
“The drive would go on for the next 10 to 15 days and unauthorised constructions on nalas, tanks and lakes will be removed,” a GHMC official said. The demolition squads were headed by Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Tahsildar, Assistant Police Commissioner along with the Town Planning officials of the concerned circle. The city police too joined the demolition drive. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy entrusted coordination to DCPs and ACPs.”