Old and Dilapidated Structures Razed Across GHMC Areas

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to increase its surveillance of old structures and take up the demolition of dilapidated structures that pose a danger with heavy rains hitting the city.

KT Rama Rao, Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, directed the municipal corporation to audit old buildings and relocate residents from dilapidated structures.

The municipal corporation, therefore, concentrated on the older buildings that are in a dilapidated state. Teams from the Disaster Response Force (DRF) demolished an old building in Aliabad, Charminar, on 12th Oct night. The DRF teams are removing the old buildings to prevent any untoward events based on complaints by local town planning wing officials.

Demolition of Dilapidated Structures

The town planning wing identifies dilapidated buildings every monsoon season and demolishes them. In this regard, to vacate the premises and facilitate the demolition of the structures, GHMC issues prior notices to the owners. This year, approximately 120 old buildings have been cleared to date, and the owners have repaired about 90 structures that have been partially damaged.

In addition to the 316 structures that were marked for demolition and carried forward from the previous year, the municipal corporation marked 377 structures during the current year. As a precautionary measure, notices were sent to the owners of unsafe buildings and attempts were made to vacate them.

The focus was imposed on compound walls, and officials of the civic body were instructed to demolish old and poor structures if the owners refused to clear those walls. More old buildings were to be demolished, but work was delayed due to severe rains.

The municipal corporation has razed approximately 1,400 old and dilapidated buildings throughout the city over the last four years. In addition, guidelines for concentrating on cellar excavations in the city have been given to assistant city planners. The municipal corporation has imposed a ban on cellar excavations in Hyderabad.

By: Shailaja K