HYDRA range.. 2 thousand kilometers
Check for encroachment of ponds and canals
Barrier to illegal constructions!
In line with the expansion of Hyderabad and to provide extensive services to the public, Telangana state Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy emphasized the need to establish the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA). On Friday, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy reviewed the setup of HYDRA and related procedures at the Secretariat. During this review, he stated that the decision was made to establish this new system in accordance with the National Disaster Management Act.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure that HYDRA operates more efficiently by coordinating with GHMC, HMDA, the Water Board, Vigilance, Traffic, Electricity, and Police departments. He directed that the existing Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management department be reorganised accordingly. HYDRA will need to function within a 2,000-kilometer radius up to the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road, and the Chief Minister suggested defining geographical boundaries similar to the existing city zones for work division. He also mentioned that if necessary, special funds for HYDRA should be considered and a draft should be prepared during the current Assembly session. The meeting was attended by State Government Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, Municipal Administration Principal Secretary Dan Kishore, GHMC Commissioner Amrapali, GHMC EVDM Commissioner Ranganath, CM’s Principal Secretary Sheshadri, and CM’s Special Secretary Ajith Reddy.
HYDRA.. is very important now!
Along with disaster management, the Chief Minister instructed that HYDRA should play a key role in the protection of government assets, preventing encroachments on lakes and ponds, removing illegal constructions, taking down unauthorised flexes, hoardings, and advertisements, managing traffic, and overseeing the supply of drinking water and electricity. He emphasised that there should be constant coordination between HMDA, Water Works, Disaster Management, and Municipal departments. The Chief Minister also directed that the responsibility for removing unauthorised hoardings and flexes within the GHMC limits and collecting fines for violations should be transferred to HYDRA. He recommended strict enforcement of regulations regarding encroachments on ponds, lakes, and government lands.
Will district collectors will not have the final say?
In fact, according to the Municipal Act introduced by the previous government, the authority to prevent illegal constructions was delegated to the district collectors. In a way, it can be said that the collectors had the final say in fully prohibiting such constructions. However, according to the recent orders by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the responsibility for preventing illegal constructions has now been assigned to HYDRA. How this will be managed remains to be seen in the coming days. In any case, HYDRA must operate without political interference; otherwise, it won’t take long for this crucial system to become ineffective.
