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The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Revenue departments have embarked on a demolition drive in Raidurg, Hyderabad, targeting unauthorized structures erected on government lands. This action, carried out amid a heavy police presence, has sparked outrage among the affected residents, who contend that they were not given adequate notice prior to the demolition. The demolition drive, which began on Monday, August 26, focused on survey numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the Raidurg area. Residents are actively protesting and attempting to hinder the demolition teams from carrying out their work.
The GHMC has established special task forces at the zonal level, tasked with identifying and taking action against unauthorized constructions across the city. According to official data, close to 500 illegal structures have been demolished in the past three months alone. This proactive approach aligns with the city's efforts to address issues of illegal construction and land encroachment.
In a separate but related development, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Agency (HYDRA) has been instrumental in reclaiming a significant amount of encroached land within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits. Within three months of its inception, HYDRA has successfully reclaimed 43.94 acres of encroached land, demonstrating its effectiveness in combating land grabbing. HYDRA’s enforcement teams have demolished 18 properties within the ORR limits, including those associated with several political figures and business leaders.
The list of demolished properties includes the alleged illegal structure of Pallam Anand, brother of Congress leader Pallam Raju, located at the ORO Sports Complex. G.V. Bhasker Rao, owner of Kaveri Seeds and a former TTD member, also faced the removal of his unauthorized construction. BJP leader Sunil Reddy, a former MLA candidate from Manthani constituency, saw his alleged illegal building razed. Furthermore, Anupama, wife of Pro Kabaddi team co-owner Srinivas, had their encroaching structure demolished. Local BRS leader Ratnakaram Sai Raju was found to have illegally erected a temporary shed on Chintal Lake.
Congress MLA Danam Nagender was reportedly involved in supporting the demolition of a compound wall to facilitate further encroachment. AIMIM MLA Mohmad Mubeen from Bahadurpura had his illegal five-story building taken down, while AIMIM MLC Mirza Rahmat Beig faced the demolition of his ground-plus-two-floor building. The demolitions took place at various locations, including Lotus Pond, Mansoorabad, Banjara Hills, BJR Nagar, Gajularamaram, and Ameerpet. HYDRA’s enforcement campaign commenced with its first raid on June 27 at Plot No. 30 in the Film Nagar Cooperative Society (Lotus Pond), marking the beginning of their aggressive action against illegal structures.
Source: Hyderabad: GHMC officials conduct demolition drive at Raidurg