After every festival, more religious structures come up on roads

​Hyderabad: Notwithstanding the public outcry and even a HC order on removal of religious structures on roads, every year, a few more structures rise from nowhere on the middle of road.

According to CPM city secretary M Srinivas who filed an RTI petition on the structures says, “There are about 700-1,000 unauthorised religious structures in the city and what is worrisome is the fact that after Bonalu festival a few more would sprout.”

He adds further, “The government dishes out huge amount of money for decoration and this is in a way legalising the structures.” A temple close to Khairatabad is on expansion mode at present and the Nalla Pochamma temple in front of Koti Women’s College is another that is under expansion.

P Anuradha Reddy, convenor, INTACH chapter, Hyderabad says, “Even the Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar was not there when I was a child. Religious structures can be moved in an amicable manner.”

M Srinivas says, “The apathy is appalling. Structures which were to be removed by the municipal corporation, three years ago are now on expansion mode.” On the one side, the Metro Rail pillars are causing inconvenience and added to the confusion; these structures add to the traffic woes, says Rakesh, a private employee.

There are at least 300 plus roads that are encroached but no action has been taken as yet. Rakesh adds, “In many cases, no one offers prayers at the structures but the moment officials from the civic body begin work, trouble brews.

The High Court of AP in 2012 directed the GHMC to remove the unauthorised religious structures but there has been hardly any work done on this front.