Squatters gobble up nalas at SCB

HYDERABAD: Encroachments have narrowed down most of the nalas in Secunderabad Cantonment hampering flow of water and threatening to inundate nearby colonies if rains continue any further. Cantonment board officials are aware of illegal structures on nalas but haven't taken steps to remove them.
Hasmathpet nala and Picket nala have hundreds of illegal structures which choke the drains and push sewer water on to the road.Apart from these two major nalas, the Cantonment area has at least 32 km of concrete drains.
Illegal structures have come up on seven-km Hasmathpet nala in the Cantonment which passes through Anjaiah Nagar, Royal Enclave, ICRISAT Colony phase-II, Amaravathi Colony, SAIL Colony, Philips Godown, Dhanalakshmi Colony, Bhavana Colony and China Thokatta, among other colonies. The Picket nala passes by East Marredpally, Sheshachalam Colony, Picket, Jubilee Bus Station and Sweekar-Upkaar.
Though the SCB has not conducted any survey to determine the number of illegal structures on the nalas, board officials said 80 per cent of the nalas were encroached upon by illegal structures in the form of houses, rooms for security guards watchman, huts and small shops.
In ward number 1, many illegal structures were identified on nalas in SAIL Colony , China Thokatta, Bapuji Nagar and Indian Airlines Colony . “Squatters encroached upon the nalas as there is no specific demarcation by the SCB engineering officials,“ J Maheswar Reddy, ward member-1, told TOI. “There is a need to remove the illegal structures and this issue will be raised at the next Board meeting, he added.
SCB vice-president and ward-II member S Keshava Reddy said, “We will not spare people who encroached upon the nalas.“
Health and sanitary wing official Mahender said, “The process of identifying illegal structures on nalas began on Sunday . So far, we have identified illegal structures on nalas in Picket, Bowenpally and Trimulgherry. We found pucca houses and huts on the nalas. Though we removed silt from nalas before the monsoon, the nalas are overflowing because of encroachments,“ he said.
When contacted, SCB chief executive officer Sujatha Gupta said, “A drive to raze illegal structures will begin in a day or two and continue for two weeks.“
'Raze structures on nalas'
Hyderabad: Municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao directed municipal commissioners in the state to identify illegal constructions on storm water drains and get them demolished at the earliest. “Those staying there must be provided two-room houses after their houses are razed,“ he said. He also asked officials to undertake a study on the 5.5-km sewer main between Divyashakthi Apartments, Ameerpet and GHMC head office surplus nala and take up repair work to avoid further damage. “A monitoring mechanism (of sewers) is necessary and concerned O&M wing has to take up this responsibility,“ he added.