Commercial complexes blatantly violate AP building rules

Kurnool: Blatant violations with regard to AP Building Rules while constructing the buildings and other commercial complexes at several municipalities in Kurnool district are being pursued seriously.

As per officials records, the authorities of nine municipalities across the erstwhile Kurnool district have identified more than 4,500 buildings that include 2,000 in Kurnool city, 600 in Nandyal town, 400 in Adoni town, 800 in Yemmiganur town, 200 in Dhone town, 150 in Allagadda town, 50 in Nandikotkur town, 150 in Atmakur town and 100 in Guduru town. Though, the illegal constructions have been identified in last two to two and half years ago, the officials of civic department in the combined district, alleged a source.

An official source, who is not interested to reveal his identity, from the civic department in Kurnool has said, they faced pressure from the political leaders, due to which taking action against the violators is getting delayed.

In fact it has been planned to remove all illegal constructions in the city limits but due to political pressure, the activity have been stopped, just a day after the work was started two years ago.

Since then to till day the removal of illegal structures has been kept pending, he added. Meanwhile, some owners who have constructed shopping complexes without following rules have approached the court and secured stay orders.

Several buildings were constructed immediately after obtaining building approval from the municipalities concerned. But the guidelines of the civic departments have not been followed in the construction.

In particular most of the commercial complexes did not provide even parking spaces in the municipalities like Kurnool city, Nandyal and Adoni. AP Building Rules mandate that the complexes must provide parking space of 25 to 30 per cent of the total built-up area, but an overwhelming number of complexes have violated this rule with impunity.

Violations have been noticed with regard to provision of parking spaces, open cellar and footpath. As the land costs have gone up to derive advantage, commercial complexes have mushroomed in various localities whether they are needed or not. The Municipal Corporation or municipalities should conduct surveys and then call for applications to construct complexes based on need. That procedure is blatantly ignored. Experts blame lack of enforcement of building bylaws as the main cause for parking problems. Any building should have an area measuring more than 50 sq metres for a parking lot. In public buildings, 10 per cent of the area should be reserved for parking. These norms are supposed to be enforced during the approval of building plans. But, evidently that is not happening.

Unscientific parking of vehicles on roads is shrinking the space of our roads.