Demolition of illegal seven-storeyed building completed in Gachibowli amid rains

An illegal under-construction building collapsed at Anjaiah Nagar in Gachibowli on Saturday, killing two people. The structure was demolished on Sunday, forcing evacuation of adjoining hostels and flats, leaving hundreds of residents stranded without immediate shelter.

Hyderabad: An illegal under-construction building that collapsed, claiming two lives on Saturday at Anjaiah Nagar in Gachibowli, was demolished on Sunday and residents of adjoining buildings were evicted before demolition works were carried out.

While the police cordoned off the site approach lanes, teams from the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) monitored the demolition that ended up in tonnes of construction debris getting accumulated at the site.

Even as the exercise of demolition and clearance was going on, the authorities directed inmates of a hostel adjoining the collapsed structure, to vacate the building as it was unsafe. Similarly, families of ‘C’ Block of Jayadarshini Residency were also asked to vacate their flats which were partially damaged in the incident.

Confusion reigned high as around 250 inmates of the hostel and 25 families of the apartment that flanked the ill-fated seven-storeyed structure that was built on a mere 50 square yard site, were forced to vacate. Many of the helpless residents lamented they had no place to move to all of a sudden.

A few hostel inmates told ‘Telangana Today’ they were asked to vacate their hostel due to its demolition, leaving them uncertain about where to go. “Some of us have relatives or friends but most are new to the city and do not know where to seek shelter,” a youngster lamented. The demolition of the hostel began at around 4 pm.

Families of ‘C’ Block of Jayadarshini Residency having to vacate at such short notice were upset with authorities for having allowed the illegal building to come up and pose risks for them. Most were unsure where to move their belongings within hours.

Ramakrishna, one of the flat owners said it was ridiculous that 25 families were asked to vacate without being provided accommodation either in a new vacant apartment or a hotel.

Builder of Jayadarshini Residency, Ananth Reddy, said most master bedrooms were damaged in 25 flats after the adjoining structure collapsed. “Apart from ACs, washing machines, refrigerators and other kitchenware were also damaged,” he said, adding there was no clarity on who would bear the expenditure. “Will the CMC officials compensate for the loss or owner of the illegal building,” he questioned.