These structures, including Government buildings and schools, mostly in the Old City, could cave in any time.

Though the Town Planning wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is aware of the situation, it is not able to initiate any steps to demolish them.

Though grave danger looms over the residents or users of these buildings, as well as of those abutting them, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has made no moves to evacuate the inmates.

When asked about this, officials just shrug their shoulders and cite the reluctance of residents to move out. For their part, the latter continue to stay put out of sheer economic helplessness, even at risk to their lives.

Most are longstanding tenants on very low rents and just cannot afford the rents elsewhere.

A decade ago, structural engineers of the GHMC identified over 800 buildings in the city as dilapidated and unsafe for human habitation. Of these some 300 have been pulled down.

Last year, the GHMC identified over 700 dilapidated structures in the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad limits and slapped notices on the owners under Section 456 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act 1955, asking them to vacate the premises.

But most occupants proved recalcitrant.

As per the act, the corporation has powers to demolish unstable buildings which endanger people’s lives. “Final notices” have been issued to over 568 buildings: Circle I (89), Circle II (125), Circle III (82), Circle IV (63), Circle V (58), Circle VI (33) and Circle VII (118).

The GHMC is yet to identify dilapidated structures in LB Nagar, Gaddiannaram, Uppal, Kapra, Alwal, Quthbullapur, Malkajgiri, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Patancheru and Ramachandrapuram.