Hundreds of people living for generations in the Old City would now become homeless under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s plan to carry out its proposed road-widening drive Even though the GHMC says that the road-widening is extremely necessary, the residents assert that widening the road from the present 40ft to 100ft plus 10ft for footpaths is not only shocking but also unnecessary.
The residents claim that the compensation to be given for their land is a pittance, and that it would not be enough to pay the advance for a rented house let alone buy a small hut. “Is this development or is it a drive against the people?” they question. Under the Hyderabad city master plan, the GHMC has taken up the initial works for road widening in the old city. It started works on the proposed 100ft road from Shalibanda to Bhadurpura in the first phase. It has initiated marking the structures that are to be demolished for the purpose of road widening.
According to the GHMC, 151 structures will be affected from Shalibanda to Fateh Darwaza in the old city. The residents of this area are worried, as they will be homeless once the drive starts. Mohammed Ghouze, of Fateh Darwaza, will lose his house where he has been living over the past 50 years. “My house is situated in a land of 304 square yards and in which nine members of my family are staying. The municipality authorities have marked my house and they need my entire house to be demolished for the road widening. We don't really have an idea what to do and with the compensation which the government is going to give, it wouldn't be enough for an advance amount for a rented house,” argues Mr Mohammed Ghouze.
Mr. Abrar has demolished his house one year ago and constructed a hotel by shifting his residence to the first floor of the building. Now after realising that his entire building would be demolished he does not have an idea what to do. “See we have already a 40ft road here and we do not really know why there is a need of having such a big road by demolishing our homes and by ruining our livelihood,” protested Mr Abrar.
Besides the Shalibanda-Bahadurpura road, 162 structures will be affected at Barkas. For road widening for the Charminar pedestrian project, another 58 structures will be demolished.
GHMC chief city planner G.V. Raghu has said that all the road-widening projects in the city are part of the master plan, which has been approved.