GVMC Launches Operation LUNGS to Protect Urban Green Spaces

As part of the initiative, the town planning department has identified and successfully removed encroachments in 15 reserved sites in just one day with the support from a special task force and local police, said chief city planner A. Prabhakar Rao.

Encroachments were detected across several zones within the GVMC jurisdiction. In Zone 1, violations were identified at Sangivalasa while Zone 2 accounted for a larger number of affected areas, including Prashanthi Nagar, Teachers Layout, D.R.K. Raju Township Layout, Kommadi, Kotha Palem, Madhuravada, and A.S.R. Nagar. In Zone 3, East Point Colony was flagged, while Zone 4 saw encroachments within H.B. GVMC. Additionally, officials removed unauthorised structures from open spaces in Colony Layout, Nakkavanipalem Layout, and Marripalem Layout in Zone 5. Encroachments were cleared in Zone 6, including Lankalapalem and Shivaji Nagar Layout and Godavari Township in Narava.

This action followed a review meeting held on July 24 at GVMC headquarters, chaired by GVMC mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao and commissioner Ketan Garg, and attended by other senior officials. The urban planning department was tasked with identifying and protecting open spaces at risk of encroachment and removing any violations.