Illegal buildings invade green areas under GO 111 due to lax enforcement | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: Illegal buildings have increased in the Hyderabad metropolitan area, especially in areas covered by GO 111, as the state has not empowered its own departments to enforce the rule of law. With a mechanism to check or remove illegal structures linked to paperwork, the intruders have had a field day for over a decade now.
There is only one enforcement wing with 53 people for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) which covers 7,200 km² comprising seven districts, 70 mandals and 1,032 villages. The 53 staff include a DYSP, an inspector, an SI and 50 home guards. While GO 111 itself covers 84 villages, including some gram panchayats and municipalities, which do not have execution / demolition teams. HMDA’s last major special campaign against illegal structures took place in April 2019.
Stressing that the gram panchayats and municipalities have done little to stop the illegal structures, officials at the HMDA enforcement wing said they could hardly take action on their own. “Even for demolition, machines like the JCBs have to be supplied by the planning or engineering wing. To be effective, HMDA requires at least four Execution Wings for each zone – Medchal, Shamshabad, Shankerpally, and Ghatkesar. Of these, most of the GO 111 areas are under Shamshabad and Shankerpally, where thousands of illegal structures have been erected, ”a senior HMDA official told TOI.
Environmentalists and activists criticized the municipal administration and the Ranga Reddy district administration for only filing reports, but doing little to stop the violation of GO 111.
According to activists, nearly 20 years ago, the Hyderabad Airport Development Authority (HADA), which was part of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (now HMDA), identified 128 structures including 70 in the bioconservation area. (GO 111). Later, on November 3, 2007, Ranga Reddy’s administration submitted a report to the High Court on 2,465 illegal structures in the Himayatsagar and Osmansagar watersheds (GO 111). Apart from them, 34 establishments and 261 illegal arrangements were also identified.
“Unauthorized structures have appeared in Shamshabad and Moinabad. While some had Ground + 1 clearance, they built multi-story buildings including hotels and colleges, ”said S Jeevananda Reddy, chair of the Forum for Environmental Sustainability.
There is only one enforcement wing with 53 people for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) which covers 7,200 km² comprising seven districts, 70 mandals and 1,032 villages. The 53 staff include a DYSP, an inspector, an SI and 50 home guards. While GO 111 itself covers 84 villages, including some gram panchayats and municipalities, which do not have execution / demolition teams. HMDA’s last major special campaign against illegal structures took place in April 2019.
Stressing that the gram panchayats and municipalities have done little to stop the illegal structures, officials at the HMDA enforcement wing said they could hardly take action on their own. “Even for demolition, machines like the JCBs have to be supplied by the planning or engineering wing. To be effective, HMDA requires at least four Execution Wings for each zone – Medchal, Shamshabad, Shankerpally, and Ghatkesar. Of these, most of the GO 111 areas are under Shamshabad and Shankerpally, where thousands of illegal structures have been erected, ”a senior HMDA official told TOI.
Environmentalists and activists criticized the municipal administration and the Ranga Reddy district administration for only filing reports, but doing little to stop the violation of GO 111.
According to activists, nearly 20 years ago, the Hyderabad Airport Development Authority (HADA), which was part of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (now HMDA), identified 128 structures including 70 in the bioconservation area. (GO 111). Later, on November 3, 2007, Ranga Reddy’s administration submitted a report to the High Court on 2,465 illegal structures in the Himayatsagar and Osmansagar watersheds (GO 111). Apart from them, 34 establishments and 261 illegal arrangements were also identified.
“Unauthorized structures have appeared in Shamshabad and Moinabad. While some had Ground + 1 clearance, they built multi-story buildings including hotels and colleges, ”said S Jeevananda Reddy, chair of the Forum for Environmental Sustainability.