Growth spurts eat into greenery

Hyderabad: The precious green belts, which are the city's lungs, are now being subjected to encroachments. The concerned authorities, meanwhile, have failed to take appropriate action.

Illegal encroachments have come up in the green belt area of the Cherlapally industrial zone. This green belt area of five acres was specially earmarked for planting trees.

However, with residential areas like Mallapur and others being in proximity, and land rates shooting up, there has been a spurt in encroachments.

Constructions, including houses and compound walls, have come up in Sector- III of Phase II and also in Sector-I, in the Survey Numbers 280 and 282.

“Certain houses and compound walls were constructed in the green belt area in the Sector-3 of Phase II. However we have demolished them.

Though we do not know who is behind the encroachments, we have lodged a complaint with local police stations,” said S.V. Lakshmi, zonal commissioner, Telangana State Industrial Corporation Limited (TS IIC).