The rule 4 (3) of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules-2016 was complied with in toto during the demolition of Secretariat buildings, the State government said.

In a counter affidavit filed in response to a PIL plea challenging the pulling down of Secretariat buildings in Telangana High Court, the government assured that all aspects relating to environment would be taken care of and no person would be put to inconvenience while demolishing the buildings.

Approval letters

The government presented the letters of the approvals and other relevant documents for the perusal of the court.

Stating that the demolition was “substantially completed and some of the blocks are standing in skeletal form,” the government said there was the risk of the buildings collapsing due to climatic conditions.

The apprehensions raised by the petitioners that people’s right to clean environment is violated due to the buildings’ demolition is baseless, it said.

No citizen living within the vicinity of the buildings had complained about pollution.

‘Political agenda’

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had granted permission for the demolition of Secretariat buildings on July 4, the affidavit said.

The government said in the counter affidavit that the two petitioners filed the plea to further their political agenda.