Hyderabad: Drones to track illegal buildings

Hyderabad: The GHMC plans to use drones and seek images from the Telangana State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (TRAC) to identify unauthorised constructions. TRAC is to provide reports on unauthorised constructions with image proof for every three months.

An issue of concern is that the three-month gap between two reports from TRAC could enable some people to complete their unauthorised constructions and occupy them. Occupied structures cannot be demolished straightaway.

According to highly placed sources, the GHMC had earlier asked the National Remote Sensing Agency for help but it had refused the job. It, however, gave a one-year report of structures which the GHMC used for the Building Regularisation Scheme. The corporation received 1.39 lakh applications under the BRS but the scheme has been stayed by the High Court. A senior official said the GHMC had to verify the pictures submitted by the owners while applying for BRS with the NRSA images. The database was being managed by the Centre for Good Governance.

He said TRAC had agreed to supply data to the GHMC. Asked about the three-month time gap between reports, he said processing of satellite images is a major task. He said the NRSA had sought time to submit similar reports, and had refused to take up the project citing other issues.

Asked whether the GHMC would demolish illegal structures if they are occupied, he said only under-construction structures are demolished. The official said without giving ownership certificates to occupied unauthorised structures, the corporation usually brings them into the property tax net and collects super structure tax with 100 per cent penal amount.