Public Divided Over CMC’s Demolition Drive at Gachibowli’s Popular DLF Food Street

The Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) carried out a large anti-encroachment drive on Friday, removing structures along the busy stretch as part of a wider operation to clear footpaths and roads. Officials said that 48 encroachments were removed from the DLF area alone, while hundreds of encroachments were cleared from other locations under the corporation’s jurisdiction.

Many said the action was harsh and sudden. A user on X said “We are not against development, but they should have been given some time to remove their stuff.”

Rajashekar, an Indiranagar resident, said, “They came and started demolishing the stalls. The owners and staff tried to argue with them and asked them to give one hour’s time to take out their stoves and equipment, but the demolition went on.”

Another user on X wrote “These stalls were part of Hyderabad’s food culture and attracted thousands of people every night. So many memories attached to the place.”

At the same time, many residents welcomed the drive, arguing that the encroachments had made one of Hyderabad’s busiest IT corridors difficult to navigate.

“The roads had become too narrow because of illegal sheds and parked vehicles. Every evening there were long traffic jams. The authorities have finally done what should have been done years ago,” resident Sandeep Reddy said.

Several social media users also spoke up about the traffic menace and dirty locations due to the food stalls. “They were a big big menace. It’s good that finally they are being demolished. Unnecessarily encroaching the public space and creating problems for commuters”, a user wrote.

Many have urged civic officials to ensure the encroachments do not pop up again, and take strict action against people who encroach the footpaths and roads.