Hyderabad: Many GHMC grounds have become cheap marriage halls. Several plots maintained by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation as parks and playgrounds are being used to celebrate birthdays, marriages, etc. for a nominal fee (less than Rs 10,000 while private halls cost above Rs 45,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day) with the support of local leaders.
As per records, there are 99 vacant plots and 217 playgrounds, of which around 170 are widely used for sports and the rest for other programmes. The fee either goes into the pockets of middlemen or the local MLA or is used for cleaning the ground. If the concerned party has a good rapport with the local MLA, he doesn’t have to bother about clearance from the GHMC. There is demand from locals to convert a football ground on Medchal highway, near Suchitra Circle, into a wedding venue.
R. Chandil, resident of Golnaka Alwal, said the playground at Lothkunta is regularly used for functions. “The residents have been opposing this as they have to put up with the noise, illegal parking, drunks and garbage. However, the officials are indifferent. Today no one plays on this ground although it belongs to the GHMC,” he said.
It’s the same case at Secunderabad Cantonment’s Bhoodevinagar Colony’s Old Venkatapuram public grounds. In Malkajgiri and surrounding areas, there is no private function hall that can accommodate 400-plus people. Thus parks and playgrounds are widely used. During the elections, GHMC grounds were used for party meetings.
Except for the bigger grounds in West Marredpally, Goshamahal, Nampally, Amberpet, Ameerpet, Sanathnagar and Gandhinagar, that have been witnessing sports activities, the ones located in colonies are used without permission. Meanwhile, the GHMC has urged the public to bring these incidents to its notice.
