Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection (HYDRAA) on Saturday demolished the N-Convention centre in Madhapur, owned by actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, following years of inaction during the BRS government tenure.
According to a statement issued by HYDRAA, N-Convention had encroached on an acre and 12 guntas of the full tank level (FTL) and two acres and 18 guntas in the buffer zone of Tammidikunta Cheruvu at Khanamet of Madhapur. According to government records, the owners of N-Convention had raised unauthorised structures and the GHMC had not given building permission.
In 2016, this structure was marked for demolition by the GHMC when Somesh Kumar was its commissioner. The issue related to conservation of water bodies citing the N- Convention hall as an encroachment was raised in the Assembly by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who was then the Kodangal legislator from the Telugu Desam. A video of the speech was circulated on Saturday in social media platforms.
However, the demolition was kept in cold storage during the BRS government tenure since then with Nagarjuna reportedly contacting the BRS leadership and approaching the court.
Saturday’s action by HYDRAA followed a complaint lodged by roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.
The demolition started at around 6 am with around 150 officials and staff from HYDRAA, police, GHMC, irrigation and revenue present at the site. The entrances heading towards the N-Convention centre were barricaded by HYDRAA. Crowd had gathered on the roads anticipating a visit by Nagarjuna.
Three hydraulic rock-breakers and an imported heavy machine equipped with a crusher were pressed into service to demolish the structure.
By 7.15 am the slab of the structure which is in the shape of a hut was razed. The wall that separates the lake and the structure was demolished in addition to the flooring portion of the structure.
By around 2 pm the owners of N-Convention secured a stay order to stop the demolition, but the structure was razed by then.
In his complaint addressed to HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath, Venkat Reddy on August 21 mentioned that the N-Convention hall located on the east side of Thammidikunta lake was an encroachment. In the complaint, the minister attached a map of the lake with full tank level (FTL) and sought action against it.
Venkat Reddy in his complaint stated that the structure built in the FTL was protected by raising a retaining wall towards the side of the water body. The structure was constructed by raising the original ground level as a result the water spread area has reduced.
