HYDERABAD: The Government has urged people living in identified dilapidated buildings and alongside the major storm water drains (nalas) in twin cities to vacate immediately and move to safe locations following incessant rain in the last two days.

Minister for Information and Public Relations and in-charge for Hyderabad district Mohd. Shabbir Ali told presspersons on Saturday that notices were issued to little more than 600 houses, including 500 dilapidated buildings within Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad's jurisdiction, asking inmates to get them demolished.

"These are all private buildings and are on the verge of collapse. Some owners had approached courts when notices were issued to them," the Minister pointed out after visiting the site in Wesley Bagh where a wall collapsed and three persons died in the early hours of Saturday.

Mr. Ali also paid a visit to the IDH Colony in Bhoiguda where two blocks of buildings developed cracks on Friday. All the 361 houses located in 11 blocks and built in the early 70s were in a ramshackle shape and notices were issued to the inmates to move out last year itself.

The Government had offered to re-build the structures and also accommodate more people, as sufficient land was available. About 200 persons living in 56 dwellings, who were shifted from the badly damaged blocks and took shelter at the community hall, were being given food by the district administration.

Fears allayed

The Minister said Rs. 2,500 financial assistance along with 20 kilos of rice would be given to each family if they moved out. "We will try and complete the construction in a year if all of you vacate," he said, allaying fears of delay in completion of the project.

However, M. Anita, one of the inmates wondered aloud: "Where can we go with such meagre financial assistance till the buildings are constructed?" The Minister also pointed out that 1,000 newly constructed houses at Kukatpally for people displaced from alongside nalas and the Musi riverbed were ready for occupation.

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