GHMC cracks whip on illegal structures

Sec. 405 invoked to avoid serving notices

GHMC’s demolition and enforcement squads, invoking Section 405 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, on Monday took up demolition drives across the city and razed encroachments on nalas, lakebeds and tanks.

Section 405 has been invoked to avoid legal hurdles. Encroachers can’t approach courts for stay orders as no notices are served.

According to GHMC chief city planner S. Devender Reddy, Section 405 gives powers to the civic body to remove encroachments without serving notices if the structure, temporary or permanent, is on any street, open channel, drain, well or tank.

GHMC will initially target buildings and structures in which people are not living currently — mostly commercial and upcoming residential projects. Mr Devender Reddy said, “We have prepared an unified report based on Voyants Solutions and Kirloskar, and our field officials, during the recent floods, have identified prioritised structures obstructing flow of water in the nalas.

GHMC officials have begun scouting for places to dump the debris from demolished structures besides seeking methods to reuse the concrete to lay roads.

Much debris is expected to pile up if the demolition drive continues, according to GHMC officials.

Till now, the debris was dumped at the Jawaharnagar dump yard or taken away by private parties.

GHMC disaster cell executive engineer R Srinivas Reddy said, “We are checking various areas so that debris can be shifted there in accordance with solid waste management rules. Concrete debris can be recycled and used for laying cement roads in certain localities. The commission has ordered us to work on this.”