Hyderabad: The GHMC’s demolition drive on encroachers of nalas has exposed that not only the poor, but major realtors too have choked the city’s outlets.
NSK Constructions’ multi-storey building at Madinaguda owned by realtor Chandra Shekar Azad, the Banjara Fun-ction Hall and Maram Constructions at L.B. Nagar, Venkatapuram Colony, are examples of realtors encroaching on the nalas. The illegal sections of all these buildings were demolished on Monday during the GHMC’s demolition drive.
The master plan for improvement of storm water drains in the city states: “The drains and nalas, more specifically major drains, are deficient in sections by 50, 100 per cent to carry the designed discharge. This deficiency of a majority of the drains is due to constriction caused by encroachments. Initial rough survey shows that about 28,000 structures and 900 acre of land acquisition need to be removed and acquired to attain the required design section for safe passage of storm water.”
The city is divided into 16 zones for storm water based on the topography. Of the 160 tanks in GHMC area, nine are completely encroached upon and surplus weirs of 13 tanks are encroached. The total length of major drains is 390 km while the road network in GHMC is more than 9,000 km. Most of these drains are either in the catchment of tanks or as surplus of tanks.
Many nalas have narrowed down due to encroachments and cause inundation during rainy seasons. The number of water bodies, once 530, is down to 169 at present. “In addition to weeds, direct discharge of raw sewerage and discharge from septic tanks into these drainage channels aggravated the problem. The problem is further complicated with utilities crossing the drains and being suspended inside the drainage channels; sudden contraction in sections of drains and culverts not properly designed,” said a source.
Serious issue
Highlights of the study on urban flooding in Hyderabad
Rainfall exceeding 50 mm in 24 hours is enough to clog the drains and inundate roads.
Most natural drainage channels (nalas) and road-side drains are clogged with garbage.
To cite just one example, the Palle Cheruvu nala to Banglaguda has been reduced from 45 feet to two feet by encroachments.
TRS man’s wife built illegally
The wife of TRS’ GHMC chief Mynam-pally Hanumanth Rao has built an additional floor without permission, an RTI query has revealed. Ms Vani Rao had sought permission from the Alwal municipal office for a ground-plus-three but built the extra floor without permission.
Mr P.M. Sai Prasad of Old Alwal filed the RTI query in April and received a reply five months later. “The top floor that has no permission is around 5,500 sq. ft, The building was constructed over five years back,” he said.
GHMC city planner Naramma confirmed that permission had not been given. Mr Hanumanth Rao claimed the structure was legal and that he had all documents. Asked for the papers, he said, “I don’t have documents, you should check with the officials.”
