GHMC gained an upper hand in the cat-and-mouse game with the owner of an old building in Shalibanda, when the corporation finally succeeded in ripping apart the 200-year-old structure on Wednesday.
The three-storeyed building has stood in the way of road widening between Charminar and Shalibanda since 1986, say officials. The owner had approached the court and brought a stay order on property acquisition, and the case has since been pending in court.
GHMC finally issued notices for its demolition, claiming that the structure is in a dilapidated condition and could prove to be a threat to lives.
No one stayed in the building, and it housed only a few sewing machines, Zonal Commissioner Srinivas Reddy said, adding that the structure is causing heavy traffic jams on the road. Though all his neighbours reaped abundantly by moving to alternative sites given by the corporation in lieu of their properties, owner of the building remained adamant in protecting his. GHMC’s statement said “local people” had asked for its demolition during the recent visit by Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar and GHMC Commissioner M. Dana Kishore. On Wednesday, they started the process of pulling down the granite-heavy building, using three earth moving machines. The process will continue on Thursday too, the note said.