Now, HYDRA glare on colonies, apartments

Hyderabad: The State Government, which has taken up a massive drive to free at least a great part of the lakes and water bodies from encroachments, is now drawing up a special action plan to demolish not only the properties of bigwigs but also illegal residential apartments and colonies which are constructed in FTL and buffer zones.

The government wants to take up proper scientific study and a fool-proof action plan lest it lead to backlash from the middle-class sections who had invested their hard-earned money in buying such flats since the builders had claimed they had all the approvals of relevant authorities.

Sources said that HYDRA had already served notices on the owners of 315 houses in many colonies in Uppal, Peerzadiguda, Kukatpally and Chandanagar areas. Nearly 140 families were served notices in Hasmathpet colony where the houses were constructed in the FTL of Boin Cheruvu. Over 20 families have been served notices in Allapur at Kukatpally mandal for building houses in the FTL area of Sunnam lake. Another 40 property owners also received notices for constructing houses in Ambir Cheruvu FTL.

The notices were also served on 65 families for violating norms and constructing houses in Gangaram Pedda Cheruvu in Champapet area. The revenue officials have asked 50 families to reply to their show-cause notices in the limits of Pedda Cheruvu in Peerzadiguda corporation limits. Officials said that thousands of colonies and apartments were found to be constructed by violating the norms stipulated by the government. Some big colonies which were developed in the early 1980s and 1990s in the Hyderabad limits were developed in the lake beds and in some areas the water bodies were completely encroached upon.

The number of illegal buildings around the lakes owned by VIPs and influential persons like top bureaucrats, film actors and industrialists were counted in small numbers. Whereas, the survey conducted by the civic authorities has brought out startling revelations.

Many colonies in the Hyderabad city were developed by encroaching the lakes. It also required a lot of exercise to finalise the list of colonies and apartments constructed in the FTL and buffer zones and the demolition of these structures was not an easy task. It needs to ensure that there was no social or political unrest and hence wants to move cautiously.