Hyderabad demolition drive: Names of major realtors missing from action list
Hyderabad: While municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao has asked GHMC to focus on big encroachers, big realtors such as Ramky, who encroached on the buffer zone of the Yellamma Cheruvu near the KPHB Colony and got a court stay, N-Convention (which encroached on three acres of Thummidikunta Lake, Madhapur and Talkie Town at Miyapur Lake do not feature in the GHMC list.
Kapra, Yellamma Cheruvu, Thumidikunta, Surram Cherru and Banglaguda are the top four lakes in Greater Hyderabad that have been encroached on a big scale by private developers. The report of the committee formed by the TRS government on encroachment of 60 acre of Durgam Cheruvu lake, where bigwigs of the government live, has not yet been brought to light.
Ms Lubna Sarawath, from Save Our Lakes, said, “In 2014, soon after the TRS took charge, officials cracked down on N-Convention. The HMDA had earlier appointed a consultant that showed the total spread of the lake as 25 acre. However, the irrigation department had another map showing the lake spread as 29 acre. HMDA on its website too showed Thummidikunta Lake as 25 acre — this was to hide the encroachment by N–Convention, which occupied the buffer zone and FTL.
“The government later said the case would need legal study and since then nothing has happened.” Meanwhile, Ramky Estates (group of villas) was constructed within the FTL of Yellamma Cherruvu near KPHB. The party had gone to the court and got a stay and there has been no effort by the GHMC to further pursue the case.”
Suram Cheruvu, commonly known as Noorish Talab at Bandlaguda of the HMDA area had a water spread area of 34.24 acre as on December 18, 2013. But its official water spread area was shown as 19.80 acre as on August 1, 2000. Google satellite imagery taken in 2014 and 2016 show landfills and constructions inside the buffer zone and FTL, as well as a huge hyacinth cover.
“Massive constructions are on towards the right side of the bund. Very recently we had complained to the MRO of Banglaguda but instead of mentioning big encroachers, they have listed small rooms for demolition. The entire MM Colony is raised on the lake,” added Ms Sarawath.
Regarding Kapra Lake, activist Mr Satish Kumar said, “A contempt case has been filed in the High Court against G. Bal Reddy, district collector of Ranga Reddy, for restoration of Kapra Lake. Notices have been issued for non-compliance of an eviction order of illegal construction and for no further constructions on Kapra Cheruvu.
“According to the High Court order, the Ranga Reddy collector had admitted in his counter affidavit that a 22-meter compound wall had been illegally built by a private builder at the cheruvu and the collector had said that the encroachments would be removed within eight weeks. However, till date nothing has been done.”
