Protests Erupt As Houses In Shankar Nagar Marked For Demolition | Hyderabad News – Times of India

HYDERABAD: “Parindon ke pankh hote huye bhi vo ghaas ke ghar banate hai, aur yahaan insaan khud insaan ka ghar tod raha hai (Birds have wings, yet they make a nest, and here man is demolishing man’s abode),” said Saleema Begum with tears in her eyes as she pointed to the red marking on her house for demolition.
On Friday morning, protests broke out in some places, and near Langar Houz affected house owners took out a rally.In Shankar Nagar, a large settlement in old Malakpet, residents were in a state of distress as their small houses along the Musi marked with red paint and the letters ‘RB-X’ are set for demolition on Sunday.
The residents’ frustration stemmed from their belief that their homes are legal as they showed land ownership documents, electricity bills and other proofs.
“We knew that buying a house on the riverbank was risky, but we did it anyway to survive. We deal with snakes, scorpions and flash floods. We washed utensils, reared goats, did any odd job we could to buy this house. All our blood and sweat has gone to waste now,” said Sakina Begum.
The residents said the demolition will not only leave them homeless but also rob them of their livelihoods.
“I have two sick children and I can barely afford their treatment. We have been living here for years, and now they want to take away everything we have built. Where will we go? How will we survive?” asked Zamrud Begum.
Ahmed Qureshi, who works as a food delivery executive, added: “My children go to school nearby. If we are forced to move, they will have to drop out. This is not fair to them or to us.”
The residents are now planning to reach out to Malakpet MLA Ahmed Bin Abdul Balala.
HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath said, “Various departments are conducting surveys, but no demolition has been undertaken by HYDRAA yet in these areas. The govt shall determine the course of action after rehabilitating them in 2BHK houses as per policy.”