Faced with the serious consequences of the years of negligence in the form of floods and submergence of colonies and buildings, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Monday has launched a massive drive to remove the illegal structures from the beds of lakes and the drains.
The GHMC had constituted as many as 18 squads to carry out the demolition drive in different parts of the city on Mission Mode.
Minister for Municipal Administration K Taraka Rama Rao on Monday held a video conference with the Commissioners and other officials of Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils in the State and warned them against any negligence in removing the illegal encroachments on the lakes and the drains which led to water stagnation in cities and towns including Hyderabad.
“If you show any negligence, stern action will be taken,” he said adding that the inefficiency of the officials was bringing bad name to the State Government. He also wanted the civic administration to launch anti-larva operations and take up cleaning works in the rain hit areas to prevent outbreak of diseases.
His warning came in the backdrop of the Government’s decision to remove all the illegal structures from the lakes and drains. The authorities have identified 28,000 such illegal structures and encroachments over storm water drains
only in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas which were submerged in the recent rains.
Officials have estimated that the demolition drive will require whopping Rs 12,000 crore and questions were being
raised from where the Government will raise the funds.
The GHMC teams, which were busy in demolishing multi stories and small buildings coming in the way of the flow of rain water include officials and personnel from various departments like town planning, police, revenue, and irrigation. Illegal encroachments of parks, and open Government lands were also being target by these squads.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials that the below poverty line families to be affected by the removal of illegal structures should be given priority in allocating the newly built houses under the Government scheme.
If such houses were not ready they should be
accommodated in temporary houses, he said.
Meanwhile, officials have estimated that the roads in Hyderabad city had suffered a damage of Rs 100 crore during last week. Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation B Janardhan Reddy said that the extent of roads damaged at 1124 locations in the city was 210 kms. About 1,500 potholes
were being filled every day to ease the problems of the people, he said.