GUNTUR: Basements are incorporated into the building design so as to facilitate parking of the owners' vehicles. But it is being increasingly found that basements are being used to build and sell commercial spaces. This is especially true in Guntur city where majority of commercial complexes are violating the norms by constructing shops and rooms in the basements leaving no space for parking.
People are parking their vehicles on the roads in Kothapeta, Brodipeta, Arundelpeta and other areas causing traffic problems. The Guntur Municipal Corporation has identified 125 building basements that are violating the norms and have started demolition of the illegal constructions. With the announcement of Amravati as the new capital, government departments have already started shifting their headquarters there, with the result that demand for houses and shops in Guntur have also increased.
The basements of a number of apartment complexes have turned into shops and godowns in the commercial and busy centers of the Guntur city. There are also allegations about big hospitals doing the same and converting their basements into laboratories and store rooms. Guntur resident D. Siva Balaji said that this new trend is forcing residents to park their vehicles on the roads. He recalled that once earlier GMC had conducted a special drive against basement constructions but had later discontinued it. Another resident T Raghu said that while residents welcomed the GMC's current drive against illegal structures, he felt that the vigilance would slacken once the drive was completed.
Kothapeta, Brodipeta, Arundelpeta, Nehrunagar and other areas are located in the heart of the city and so unless there are regular checks by the GMC, the violations would continue. GMC Commissioner Ch Anuradha said that already GMC had directed violators to break down illegal structures but since the response was poor, the GMC had started the special drive. She affirmed that basements should be used for only parking purposes and violations would not be allowed. GMC City Planner S Chakrapani said that illegal structures were removed in City Hospital, Quality Hospital, AVR Hospital and P Ramaiah complex. He has warned violators to refrain from building such structures otherwise GMC would just go ahead and demolish them.
