GHMC officers to be held responsible for building crashes, warns KT Rama Rao

Hyderabad: GHMC town planning officers will be held responsible for old buildings collapsing in Greater Hyderabad, minister K.T. Rama Rao said after the collapse of a 75-year-old building at Chilkalguda late on Monday. GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy directed GHMC staff to carry out an emergency drive to find out dilapidated buildings, "Loss of life must be prevented. The negligence of the staff will be viewed seriously. GHMC will identify worn out buildings with the help of corporators, the public and its staffers. GHMC officers have been directed to demolish identified buildings. If the properties are involved in cases ban orders will be issued and boards will be put up."

The minister has ordered to hold town planning officers responsible if any old building collapses and people die in their jurisdiction areas. The commissioner said the town planning wing of Chilkalguda had issued notices to the owners of the collapsed 75-year-old ground plus one building in 2015 and 2016, and except for the meat shop owner all others had vacated the building. Later, the GHMC demolished the entire building.

In the last two weeks four buildings collapsed in Greater Hyderabad. The first was the under construction portico of Film Nagar Culture Club on July 26 which killed two labourers and injured many. It was followed by an old  commercial electronic store in Secunderabad which buried alive the store owner. The fourth incident was on Tuesday when an illegal arch of a gated community crashed in Kukatpally.

Following the alarming number of building crashes GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy has ordered a training session next week for all engineers and  supervisors of GHMC by JNTU experts.

Collapsed arch was illegal:

The collapsed arch of Vasant Colony in Kukatpally was illegal. The GHMC had not granted permission to the builders to construct the arch and it was not part of the building plan. The report of the GHMC Circle 14 authorities on the incident said, “The construction of an arch by the builder of the apartment project in survey number 145/2, in Kukatpally is illegal. Permission was issued for the construction of residential apartment blocks A B C D & E consisting of a cellar, and stilt plus five floors containing 540 flats. The file mentioned Ms B. Lakshmi Narasamma and five others and the development agreement was made by GPA holder Teja Homes Pvt Ltd and eight others.”

The entrance arch was being built adjacent to E Block. “The applicant has not obtained occupancy certificate from the GHMC as the apartments are under construction. At the final stage of the verification of the sanctioned plan it was noticed that no permission was accorded for the entry arch which collapsed,” the report said .

The crashed illegal arch is an example on how gated communities, and colonies build arches without GHMC permission. It is mandatory for the applicant to mention about any additional construction in the building application. If that is not done the GHMC will have the right to demolish it.   

On the Kukatpally arch collapse, GHMC circle 14A deputy commissioner N. Narender said the GHMC has asked the police to register a criminal case against the builder Shiva Prasad Reddy and eight others including  Tejas Construction which took up the construction. The GHMC has also issued notices to the architect and structural engineer of the building. Action will also be taken against the town planning officer who failed to conduct inspections.