The Greater Hyderabad area is abuzz with Hydra’s aggressive approach to tackling illegal constructions. Hydra, short for Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection, is targeting buildings in lake buffer zones. While praised for its strict stance, Hydra’s actions are causing confusion and criticism, particularly when demolishing structures with valid government permits and bank loans.
Hydra, under Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, is implementing a phased approach: preventing encroachments, taking action against them, and removing silt from lakes. However, there’s backlash against demolishing buildings approved years ago by GHMC and HMDA, leading to questions about Hydra’s authority.
Bank loans for home construction require thorough documentation and permits. The current confusion has led GHMC and HMDA officials to seek clarity from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Hydra’s jurisdiction. Meanwhile, citizens are frustrated over the destruction of homes they built with official approval and bank loans, calling for accountability if permits were wrongly issued.
N Convention encroaches 3.30 acres, HYDRA confirms
HYDRA, GHMC, and other departments removed unauthorised structures on Saturday from the FTL and Buffer Zones of TammidiKunta Cheruvu, including N Convention, which encroached 3.30 acres. N Convention’s structures extended 1 acre and 12 guntas into the FTL and 2 acres and 18 guntas into the Buffer Zone, without any building permissions from GHMC.
The dispute began with a 2014 HMDA notification, followed by a final notification in 2016. N Convention challenged these in court, but no stay orders were issued. Attempts to regularise the structures under the Building Regularization Scheme were rejected. Encroachments have caused severe waterlogging and property damage in the area.
After following legal procedures, officials demolished the unauthorised structures, but the High Court of Telangana has issued an interim stay on Saturday afternoon.
