HYDERABAD: The western part of Greater Hyderabad, a prime location for real estate development, has become a hotspot for illegal construction, with nearly 40% of the city’s unauthorised buildings concentrated here.
So far this year, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified around 1,500 illegal constructions citywide. Of these, 1,000 were demolished, with the majority in the western region, including 209 in Moosapet, 142 in Kukatpally, and 81 in Chandanagar.
GHMC officials report that these violations primarily involve construction of extra floors, encroachments on govt or private land, road encroachments, deviations from approved plans, and construction without proper approvals.
“To avoid govt fees for permissions and taxes, many building owners obtain permits for G+1 (a building with one floor) and constructions and then build additional floors, subsequently obtaining stay orders to prevent demolitions. Furthermore, some owners misuse residential building permits by converting properties into commercial spaces, continuing to pay residential tax rates. In response, we have intensified our crackdown on illegal constructions, imposing 100% penalties on unauthorised floors and demolishing sections of buildings that exceed approved limits,” said a senior GHMC official.
According to sources in GHMC, property owners often use existing house numbers from previous structures to obtain water and electricity connections for unauthorised structures or added floors. In some cases, they make arrangements with utility workers to provide these essential services.
While official statistics report 1,000 to 1,500 illegal buildings in the city, residents’ welfare associations claim that many more structures go unnoticed or unaddressed by the GHMC. Enforcement typically occurs in response to complaints or following serious incidents.
A recent example includes the demolition of a tilted building in Siddique Nagar, Madhapur, which was constructed without approval.
“Shaikpet is witnessing a surge in illegal buildings, causing water shortages, sewage overflow, parking congestion, and road encroachments. Despite these issues, town planning officials in Jubilee Hills ignore these violations, allowing multi-storey buildings on small plots and encroachments on nalas. Although the govt prohibits the registration of illegal floors, some GHMC officials are allegedly complicit in supporting these activities,” said Asif Sohail, president of the Jubilee Hills Constituency Colonies Forum.
In response to the recent demolition of the tilted building in Siddique Nagar, GHMC has launched a comprehensive survey of illegal structures in Hi-Tec City and Madhapur. Meanwhile, the GHMC has also initiated an inquiry to understand how a five-storey building was constructed on a 50 square yard plot without the necessary permissions.
Officials note that many of these buildings appear to violate municipal regulations and setback requirements. The survey will cover all congested streets in Madhapur to assess the scale of unauthorised construction activity.
