GHMC to crack down on squatters, encroachments

Hyderabad: Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of GHMC will accord utmost priority to remove encroachments and illegal constructions in public spaces.
It is all set to launch thorough investigations into unauthorized structures as well as encroachments in parks, lakes and roads.

Through special inquiries, EVDM aims to take stringent action against those responsible for illegal activities.By cracking down on encroachments and illegal construction, EVDM aims to restore public spaces. The state govt took this forward last week by appointing a commissioner for EVDM. Till recently, it was headed by a director. Following the development, EVDM swung into action to clear encroachments at a public park.
A couple of days ago, an individual from Film Nagar Cooperative Housing Society, who owns a plot of 844 square yards near Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills, demolished a portion of a public park's wall and constructed an approach road to his plot, encroaching upon approximately 500 sq yards of govt land.
EVDM personnel dismantled the encroached wall and issued notices to the individual responsible for the encroachment. The notices highlighted the illegal occupation of govt land, the damage caused to public property, and the adverse impact on the park's ecology. This apart, roads encroached upon in Gajularamaram, footpaths in Hayathnagar and Musheerabad were cleared in the last week.
“We will prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) to tackle encroachments effectively. Additionally, we are considering introducing new provisions, laws or amending existing ones againsts encroachments. The move comes as a response to the growing concern over the increasing number of illegal constructions and encroachments in public spaces. EVDM's focus on this matter is expected to lead to the demolition of such structures and the restoration of these areas,” EVDM commissioner AV Ranganath said.
Since 2020, zonal commissioners in GHMC had been looking after a special task force (STF) to detect and monitor unauthorized constructions, layouts and take timely enforcement action. During January-March, STF had cleared over 400 unauthorized constructions in the city. Now, EVMD is very likely to take over responsibility of removing illegal structures.