Hyderabad: The police quarters at Rasoolpura, Begumpet, can collapse anytime. The quarters are around 60 years old and houses families of police officers who live in constant fear.
Both retired and in-service officials live at the Begumpet quarters. In 2015, the kitchen roof of one of the quarters had collapsed though no one was injured.
Cracked walls, leaking roofs, broken doors and windows, electric meter boards without covers, rusty taps and pipes, and stinking sanitary lines are common features of these quarters.
“I was cooking when a large heap of cement plaster from the roof fell on me. I received minor injuries. When we brought it to the notice of our seniors, they told us we could vacate, but they would not repair it,” said Ms T. Vijaya Gopal, wife of a police constable.
Rs 6,000 get deducted every month from the salaries of officials towards rent of the premises. Residents say that no repairs have been done since 2010. Ms Sujatha Kapil, a resident, said that many occupants painted their apartments and took up small repair works, spending from their own pockets.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, as many as 128 cases of structural collapses within the city have been recorded in the last five years. Officials say most of these have been during the monsoons.
According to the Hyderabad Municipal Act 456, once a notice is issued, the owner of a building has to strengthen the building, a reputed architect has to inspect the structure and submit a structural stability certificate to the GHMC. If the procedure is not followed, the GHMC is entitled to issue two more notices and then take action.
The GHMC town planning authorities have appealed to citizens to bring dangerous structures to their notice.
