Illegal constructions rise in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Many unauthorised buildings are mushrooming in Visakhapatnam as a result of the nexus between greedy officials of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and unethical builders.The nonchalance of the authorities is encouraging builders to continue violation of zoning and building regulations.To curb the menace of unauthorized buildings in the city, GVMC commissioner B Ramanjaneyulu has recently directed officials to bulldoze such constructions and also to get the encroachments removed from cellars.Though the plan sounds very ambitious, GVMC planning department officials are having a tough time locating the official records of the approved plans which have been dumped in the office.According to official statistics, more than 60 per cent of the total buildings in the city are constructed illegally and a majority of cellars in commercial buildings have been encroached upon.The Municipal Corporation has, however, begun demolishing illegal in cellar spaces.Ironically, builders of these illegal structures have taken the permission of the city planning wing of GVMC to raise these multi-storeyed residential and commercial establishments.However, these buildings violate construction norms of the GVMC.At places like Dwarakanagar, Jagadamba, Daga Gardens, Siripuram, Gajuwaka, Madhurawada and few other places in the city, most of the constructions are violating the approved plans and constructing penthouses and two bedroom flats in cellars.On his regular ward visits, the GVMC commissioner had received many complaints on the planning department’s unscrupulousness following which he has ordered GVMC authorities to take an immediate action to bulldoze illegal structures.The assistant city planner (ACP) of GVMC has told the commissioner that the demolition works would be carried out in a phased manner but, has not submitted the approved buildings’ plans yet as they are unable to find them.