Lodha’s trickery ends up in fight over wall
A group wants to demolish compound wall, another opposes
A notice issued by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to demolish the compound wall that separates two properties built by the Lodha Group at Kukatpally, has ended up in court, with 550 families residing in one of the buildings, the posh Bellezza, vowing to teach the builder a lesson for cheating them.
On Thursday, the High Court set aside the notice and directed the GHMC to give a week’s time for the residents associations to respond and hear their grievances.
In 2009, the Mumbaibased builders, the Lodha Group, built luxury homes on a 12-acre plot, promising 80 per cent open space and 20 per cent constructed area around. However, later, Lodha built another venture called Meridian, of two-bedroom, low-end housing on the same plot, with a compound wall separating the two buildings.
The residents’ association of Lodha Meridian, however, has complained that they have been deprived of certain amenities, so the GHMC issued a notice pointing out that Lodha had taken permission for a single plot of land and so the compound wall had to be demolished within seven days.
The secretary of Lodha Bellezza Flat Association explained: “The Lodha Group made changes to the layout of Lodha Bellezza and Meridian projects and dramatically increased the number of flats in Meridian towers. The apartment owners of Lodha Bellezza got alarmed by these deviations. After several pleas to our political leaders and GHMC, the builder agreed to come down from Mumbai and take the grievances of Bellezza buyers seriously. A compromise was reached. The owners of Lodha Bellezza agreed to a reduction in the size of Lodha Bellezza. The builder agreed to create a clear separation between Lodha Bellezza and Lodha Meridian by putting a boundary wall between the two properties.”
Anamika Lalwani, a resident of Belleza, added, “This separation was clearly mentioned in plans approved by the GHMC in August 2015. The sale deeds of Lodha Meridian also clearly state that there will be a boundary between the two properties and neither party has rights over the other side. Now, suddenly, after two years, the GHMC is issuing a notice saying that the boundary is illegal and they will demolish it.”
The GHMC notice issued stated: “The Lodha builders has unauthorisedly constructed a compound wall in survey number 1009 /P = KPHB, contrary to the provision of HMC act and by-laws. This office had issued permission as a single unit. Therefore the MD of Lodha is directed to remove the compound wall within 7 days if not action will be taken as per Section 636 /section 596 /section 461 (4) of HMC Act.”
A meeting has been called between GHMC Commissioner and the Residents' Welfare Association of Meridian and Bellezza on Friday.