Anti-encroachment drive triggers tension in Hakeempet

Tension prevailed in Hakeempet after GHMC officials demolished temporary shelters encroaching on a stormwater drain during an anti-encroachment drive. Residents alleged the demolition was carried out without prior notice, while officials said the structures obstructed water flow.

Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in Hakeempet near IAS Colony under the Golconda Zone on Thursday, after Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials of the town planning executed an anti-encroachment drive to clear temporary shelters obstructing a stormwater drain.

GHMC officials demolished the shelters amid police deployment, leading to a heated argument with residents who said they had lived in the area around 50 years.

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A resident, Jeetu Rathod, alleged that officials had deployed police and earthmovers and demolished the shelters without prior notice. He said the residents, many of whom were daily-wage workers, had stayed there for several years and questioned where they would go after their shelters were suddenly demolished.

GHMC removed temporary shelters that had encroached 10 to 15 feet into a stormwater drain and obstructed water flow, Golconda Zone deputy commissioner D Jagan told Telangana Today. Road-widening work proposed to ease traffic in the area would begin soon, following demands from local people, he said.

Mild tension prevailed during the demolition of temporary shelters, but the process was completed after residents were persuaded, Tolichowki Inspector L Ramesh Naik said.