Hyderabad: Officials out to rein in illegal structures in Jalpally limits

Jalpally: To square off unauthorised constructions in Jalpally municipality, the Revenue authorities are preparing lists of illegal structures, industries and commercial establishments to place them before the Collector of Ranga Reddy district and the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) for action.

It is said that the Revenue officials have prepared and submitted a first list of at least 48 unauthorised structures and have moved to prepare the second one before taking help of the district task force to square off them.

However, getting the nod for a clamp-down remains a challenge for the Revenue officials as higher-ups in the Ranga Reddy collectorate are not showing any interest in such drives despite the formation of District Task Force against unauthorised constructions. "We have prepared a list of 48 unauthorised structures and are in the middle of making another one. Though there are no clear indications yet from the collectorate about any such drive against the identified structures, the CDMA is pressing us to keep on sending wires to the collector, besides updating the municipal administration about the prevailing situation," informed an official on the condition of anonymity.

"The series of visits have resulted in identification of 48 unauthorised structures, including houses, industries and commercial establishments in different wards of the municipality in the initial phase" he said, adding "Jalpally is a hot bed of such unauthorised structures. It may take time to come up with more such lists." There is a big task ahead even for authorities and needs a concerted effort from all the line departments before going whole hog against such wayward activities," the official added. Spread over an area of 30 sq km with a mixed population of around 80,374 (as per 2011 Census), the Jalpally municipality was formed in 2016 merging areas such as Jalpally, Balapur, Kottapet and Pahadi Shareef. The densely populated municipality was divided into 28 wards which provide an abode to around 23,961 families.

The municipality, known as the largest enclave of slum areas on the city outskirts, earned a moniker of most underprivileged populace among all 16 civic bodies in Ranga Reddy district.

"With no proper basic amenities and least public health care facilities, a large part of population here forms a community of wage labourers. The poverty-stricken area has turned into a hot cake of encroachments in water bodies. Extremely unhygienic conditions make this municipality the most neglected area close to Hyderabad," said Mohd Waseem of Pahadi Shareef.