Personnel of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation demolishing the encroachment of the footpath by Prasad’s Multiplex Theatre in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI more-in The Vigilance and Enforcement wing of the GHMC has pulled off a coup of sorts on Tuesday when its officials reclaimed the footpath space encroached upon by the Prasad’s Multiplex, by demolishing the structures erected on it. The first ever multiplex to be built in Hyderabad, the Prasad’s had erected an iron railing which encompassed the footpath space on the road from Necklace Road rotary towards the Mint Compound. Inside the fencing, they used what would have been the footpath, to develop landscaping. A lawn and a few palm trees were grown in the space. GHMC officials led by Director, Enforcement, Vigilance & Disaster Management Viswajit Kampati arrived with the earth moving equipment, and demolished the railing. They also raked up the lawn, in order to prepare it for footpath laying. When contacted, Mr.Kampati said the corporation had informed the management of the multiplex about the demolition two days before the operation was carried out. “We removed the railings, and the lawn, but retained the palm trees,” he said, while informing that another stretch of about 1.5 kilometres was cleared at MLA Colony, Jubilee Hills. The Enforcement wing has so far cleared about 9,750 encroachments from the city footpaths, he said. The drive to reclaim the footpaths was started at the end of June this year, and during the first phase running into three days, more than 4,500 encroachments were removed. Later, the operations have been confined mostly to the weekends, though the latest one has been taken up on Tuesday.

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