GHMC survey shows politicos encroached on nalas

Hyderabad: According to a GHMC survey, TRS member and builder Bandi Ramesh has encroached on a 40-foot-wide nala that connects Patel cheruvu and Gangaram cheruvu.

The builder has constructed CBR Estates, a multi-storey apartment, and allegedly reduced the nala’s width to six feet in the process.

Former Congress MLA Bikshapati Yadav has constructed an apartment complex of 500 flats by encroaching on a nala in Serilin-gampally. TRS MLC T. Bhanu Prasad, who had given his land for developing the property, has been asked to increase the width of the nala to 12 feet from the existing encroached 6 feet.
All these buildings had been given permission by the GHMC West Zone and head office.

The survey conducted by the GHMC mayor and irrigation officials identified the encroachment and another survey has been ordered. In Serilingampally constituency, from Deepthi Sree Nagar to Chandanagar, GHMC has identified 12 buildings that have been built on the nalas.

Over 15 years, residents of Deepthi Sree Nagar in Madinaguda of Serilingampally have been facing inundation due to nala encroachment. Water from Patel Cheruvu travels 2 km through Deepthi Sree Nagar before it drains into Gangaram cheruvu. A joint survey on October 18 identified that the channel of the nala at CBR Estate has been reduced to 3-5 feet while the actual width according to Google Maps was 40 feet.

Another big builder was identified for completely diverting the channel. Mr Purna Chandra Rao, general secretary of Deepthi Sree Nagar welfare association, said, “Due to diversion of the nala, whenever there is a slight downpour, water comes up to the knees. Water from Hafizpet and Miyapur travels through Deepthi Sree Nagar and drains into Gangaram cheruvu, but due to the encroachment, we face inundation.”

Builder Bandi Ramesh has built CBR Estate and Hema Durga Apartments on the nala. Another builder, Babu Rao, has constructed Dolphin Apartments on the nala.

Development on the land owned by TRS MLC Bhanu Prasad has also allegedly narrowed the nala.

Mayor Bonthu Rammohan said, “A fresh survey has been ordered in Serilingam-pally to identify the length of encroachments and instructions have been given to the commissioner and other officials to take up corrective measure to avoid such issues in the future.”

When approached, TRS MLC Bhanu Prasad said, “As far as my property is concerned, we have not diverted the nala. GHMC has asked me to widen the nala from the existing 6 to 12 feet. I have asked them to acquire land from the set back area from my property.”

Madinaguda is worst affected

Land is costly in the Serilingampally Asse-mbly constituency, mostly in the 10 divisions that fall in the IT hub. Builders have made crores here by encroaching on nalas.

Six lakes and four nalas traverse through Serilingampally and drain into the Gangaram cheruvu. Most of these nalas have been encroached, said a GHMC survey.

Due to the encroachments, Hydernagar, Adarshnagar, Deepthi Sree Nagar and the area around Alli Talab cheruvu face continuous inundation.

TRS corporator Navtha Reddy said, “The land price in Madinaguda division is Rs 40,000 per square yard on the main road. Due its proximity to the IT corridor, land prices are sky rocketing. With regard to encroachments, major violators have been identified at Adarshnagar, Krishnadevaraya Nagar, Krushinagar and Deepthi Sree Nagar. Nalas from Hafizpet and Miyapur join at Patel cheruvu and this drains into Gangaram Cheruvu. Madinaguda is the major junction through which the nala passes before it ends at Gangaram cheruvu . We need 40 feet nalas here.”

The Deepthi Sree Nagar Residents Welfare Association had filed a complaint with the deputy commissioner, GHMC west zone, regarding nala encroachments by major builders in February. It needed the recent flood-like situation to bring the issue to the notice of the authorities.

Locals state that four months back another builder, Mr Prakash Chowdhary, had started to encroach on the nala. After protests by locals, construction was stopped on a temporary basis. Since it was overlooked by the GHMC, the work has restarted.