Hyderabad: A committee established by the Supreme Court (SC)-mandated commission on water supply & sanitation has recommended banning the conversion of residential and industrial plots into commercial ones, a news source reported. The said committee submitted its proposals to the judicial body, which suggested that the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) or any other agency should stop such conversions without the permission of the Sindh Board of Revenue.
The committee has also recommended to ban the construction of high-rise buildings in old areas of Hyderabad city, and in the Latifabad talukas. It has also advised that a secretary of the local government of officer from the housing & town planning department should be appointed as an enquiry officer. This officer will fix responsibility on the departments concerned for issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The committee observed that commercial high-rise buildings, marriage halls, shopping marts, food centres, etc. have replaced the single-storey bungalows in residential areas of the city. It reported that these developments have deteriorated the city’s infrastructure.
In regard to the Master Plan for Hyderabad 2025, the committee has requested the concerned departments to notify their progress, and suggested creating a separate department in Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA). It said that high-standard gadgetry and qualified human resources should be arranged for this department.
In further proposals, the committee stated that utility agencies should not provide services to illegal schemes and high-rise buildings without NOCs or approval by the deputy commissioner. In addition, no allotment of plots, change in plan and conversion status, or development should take place in the SITE areas without the formation of a commissioner-led board, it added. The committee has advised to review roads allowed for commercial use by a High Court-led committee, and to ban housing schemes until the approval of the city’s master plan.
