For the first time ever in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, a construction company has been slapped with a fine of ₹ 8 lakh for inundating the roads with water pumped out from the cellar of a building under construction in Banjara Hills.
Building permission too has been withdrawn for the apartment complex being built by Legend Constructions, informed GHMC Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan who observed the violation of norms.
“On Sunday night at about 2.30 a.m., I was travelling at the junction where Road No.3 and Road No.14 meet, and observed that three roads were inundated in three inches of water. Upon inspection, we discovered that the water was being pumped out from the multi-level cellar of the complex under construction,” Dr. Ram Mohan explained.
He brought it to the notice of GHMC Town Planning and Engineering officials and asked them to inspect the building. The officials found that the builders had been illegally letting out huge amount of water that seeped into the cellars under construction. They had been doing it on the sly during midnight for the past few days, which has severely damaged the freshly laid CC and BT roads leaving large amount of slush and silt behind. The loss incurred amounted to ₹ 8 lakh, besides the inconvenience caused to commuters. A criminal case has been filed in Banjara Hills police station against the construction company, besides imposition of fine. Work has been stopped and the pumpsets have been seized, officials informed.
Dr. Ram Mohan has asked the public not to ignore cases where such violations are found, and urged them to register a complaint with the GHMC, so that fines can be levied and punitive measures can be taken.
“Water is to be let out into storm water drain and not on to the roads. We have recently discovered seven to eight such cases, and slapped fines amount to ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 1 lakh. But this is the highest fine ever slapped for such offence,” Mr.Ram Mohan said.
