Vayupuri Residents Seek Action Against Encroachers Of Green Cover
According to residents, several businesses have damaged underground sewage lines and are parking commercial vehicles indiscriminately along the roads, worsening traffic congestion and safety issues.
Hyderabad: The residents of Vayupuri, a residential colony, have decided to prevent unchecked rise of commercial establishments, which they are encroaching on footpaths, and even cutting down trees. Home to nearly 200 families, the colony is now witnessing a grassroots movement to reclaim its vanishing greenery.
According to residents, several businesses have damaged underground sewage lines and are parking commercial vehicles indiscriminately along the roads, worsening traffic congestion and safety issues.
Established in 1966 as a residential enclave for defence personnel, Vayupuri was developed on government-owned plots classified as grazing lands. According to the Air Force Officers’ Cooperative Society, a key part of the local residents’ association, these lands were never officially designated as forest land, but the residents preserved trees with an intent to maintain green cover.
“We have always protected the green areas in our colony,” said Captain Ramesh Kumar, president of the Air Force Officers’ Cooperative Housing Society. “From the beginning, trees were planted thoughtfully, and certain areas were deliberately left open to serve as lung spaces. But over the past decade, commercial establishments have mushroomed. Recently, they’ve started encroaching on green belts and chopping down trees. Despite repeated complaints, we’ve received no response from the GHMC authorities.”
The colony was developed in 50 acres. Of which, five acres or nearly 20,000 square yards were earmarked for green and open spaces. Out of this, only 10,752 square yards of green cover remains now. The rest, they claim, has been taken over. Currently, there are 23 commercial establishments operating in violation of civic body regulations.
Group Captain G.S. Reddy (retd), a resident of over three decades, said “This used to be a serene area with clean air. But over time, other colonies developed nearby and commercial activity began to spill in — particularly eateries, bars, and pubs along Fifth Avenue. They’ve occupied footpaths and even installed generators in public green areas. One sweet shop and an eatery have blatantly taken over part of the green zone. The situation is especially bad from Second Cross Road onwards.”
The residents are now demanding urgent action from civic authorities to restore the colony’s green spaces and enforce building regulations.
