Hyderabad: Unauthorised cellars in apartments have become a curse for residents of Nizampet, Bachupally and other areas of Cyberabad which have been badly hit by rain for the past two days.
While rainwater has been cleared from several localities, many cellars remain inundated. Even power supply was not restored to many as the electricity meters were installed in the cellars.
In many cases, builders had permission for only stilt supports but went ahead and built cellars. Despite the fact that the buildings were located downstream of the Nizampet lake and faced inundation during heavy rains, many builders built them without permission from the HMDA, and the Town Planning officers allowed it.
Social activist and advocate B. Venugopal said the town planning sections of GHMC and HMDA were reduced to just giving out permissions. Even the proposal to bifurcate the town planning wing into planning and enforcement sections has remained on paper.
Though a couple of town planning officers were suspended following allegations of regularising illegal constructions, they were reinstated in less than six months and were transferred to different areas in the Town Planning Wing again.
“Most illegal cellars and buildings were constructed in the Bhandari Layout and surrounding areas of Nizampet, Bachupally and Kukatpally after the Building Regularization Scheme in 2008. Builders minted money by constructing flats on the ground floor that was originally meant for parking. Town Planning officials issued notices but never took up demolitions," said a retired official from the Municipal Administration department.
In fact most of the buildings that have come up in Bhandari Layout are unauthorized as it falls under FTL and is downstream of the Nizampet Lake.
Heavy rain predicted for Hyderabad. Ranga Reddy district
Telangana state districts received heavy rains on Thursday with Nagar-kurnool of Mahbubnagar recording 8.9 cm and Nallabelly of Warangal 8 cm. In Ranga Reddy, Yacharam recorded 5 cm.
The Met department has forecast heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places over TS including Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy on Friday and Saturday. In most places light to moderate rains or thundershowers are likely. On Sunday, light to moderate rains with thundershowers are likely across the state.
