The Deccan Chronicle 18.08.2010
GHMC sat on building demolitionHyderabad, Aug. 17: The Saidabad building collapse exposes the callousness of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The building that collapsed was not even on the GHMC’s “dilapidated buildings” list. It only proves that the civic body is unaware of the number of “dilapidated” buildings that are unsafe for human habitation in the city.
Eight years ago, the GHMC had conducted a survey and identified 737 buildings as “unfit for habitation.” Thereafter, no new survey has been conducted. What is more, the civic body has not yet demolished the 341 of the 737 buildings that were identified as dilapidated.
Even the State Human Rights Commission had directed the GHMC earlier to demolish such buildings. However, hundreds of families continue to live in these buildings.
Officials say the building residents are unwilling to vacate the premises and that a large number of them have got stay orders from the High Court against the demolition of their buildings.
The chief city planner of the GHMC, Mr G.V. Raghu, said, “We have demolished 245 buildings and have taken up repair work on another 125 old buildings.”
