HYDRA’s crackdown on illegal constructions
Demolitions of structures at 42 Locations in Greater City
HYDRA demolishes 224 illegal constructions
HYDRA reclaims 78 acres of government land
Ranganath’s focus on protecting 120 major lakes
In Hyderabad, the state government-established HYDRA is causing turmoil among those who have illegally constructed houses by encroaching on lakes and canals. Formed with the objective of protecting government lands, lakes, canals, and ponds within Greater Hyderabad, HYDRA is making significant inroads into the hearts of illegal encroachers. The agency is demolishing illegal constructions and large buildings in buffer zones and FTL areas. As part of this effort, HYDRA has also demolished the N Convention owned by actor Nagarjuna. Moving forward with jet-speed bulldozers, HYDRA is relentlessly advancing without taking a step back.
HYDRA is not sparing anyone who has encroached on lakes and undertaken constructions throughout Greater Hyderabad. The agency is demolishing even large buildings within hours using bulldozers. HYDRA Commissioner Ranganath is continuously monitoring illegal constructions and issuing warnings. He cautions that attempting to secure stays from the court after encroaching on lakes will not be effective. Without giving time for court proceedings or stays, HYDRA is demolishing illegal constructions within 2 to 3 hours. Starting from Lotus Pond, HYDRA has carried out demolitions in areas including Rajendra Nagar, Hyatt Nagar, Banjara Hills, Film Nagar, Gajularamaram, Ameerpet Canal, Nandgiri Hills, Chandanagar, Bachupalli, Khanapur, Chilkur, Madhapur, Gandipet, N Convention, and subsequently Ram Nagar, Gagan Pahad, Miyapur, Serilingampalli, Madinaguda, and Nizampet.
HYDRA has specifically focused on lakes and canals that have been encroached upon not only within Greater Hyderabad but also in surrounding villages. Recently, several illegal constructions in the Ameenpur mandal of Sangareddy district were demolished by Tahsildar Radha and HYDRA officials. Illegal ventures had been set up and constructions undertaken in Survey Numbers 119 and 121 of Ailapur village panchayat, which were subsequently demolished by HYDRA. HYDRA Commissioner Ranganath inspected the Saki Lake in the Patan Cheru area of Sangareddy district and identified 18 illegal constructions in the lake. Commissioner Ranganath advised GHMC officials to thoroughly examine the documents of houses built by ordinary citizens and take appropriate actions.
In Survey Number 462 within the Ameenpur municipal area, HYDRA issued orders for the demolition of a Private School by revenue and municipal officials. The school, built on 17 acres of government land in Survey Number 462, including the school gate, rooms, and ground, was demolished using JCBs.
Additionally, FIRs have been registered at the Miyapur Police Station against those who undertook constructions in the FTL and buffer zones of lakes. The irrigation department officials complained about constructions undertaken by Svarnalatha and Krishna Kishore in the buffer zone of the Eerla Lake in Vaishali Nagar. HYDRA officials demolished these apartments within hours.
In another case, irrigation department officials lodged a complaint at the Bachupalli Police Station against Maps Infra MD Sudhakar Reddy for illegal constructions in the Nizampet Erra Kunta area. HYDRA officials inspected and demolished these constructions.
Alongside HYDRA, GHMC and the Revenue Department have also entered the field. In this context, they have focused on illegal constructions in the colonies around the Durgam Lake. Recently, GHMC officials issued notices to 204 houses in the area. In the Hi-Tech City areas of Raidurg and Madhapur, numerous luxurious buildings have been constructed around Durgam Cheruvu. This includes a house belonging to Tirupathi Reddy, the brother of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Recently, HYDRA officials issued notices to all these illegal builders. This demonstrates that neither HYDRA nor the government is exempt from scrutiny.
Since July 27, HYDRA has demolished illegal constructions at approximately 42 locations, where lakes and nalas have been encroached upon and constructions have been carried out in violation of regulations. So far, it appears that more than 224 illegal structures have been demolished. According to official sources, HYDRA has reclaimed nearly 78 acres of land by demolishing illegal structures built on encroached lakes and nalas. Meanwhile, HYDRA is conducting a survey on illegal constructions around approximately 120 lakes in Greater Hyderabad and is preparing to issue notices to all the builders involved. This indicates that numerous illegal constructions in Hyderabad are likely to face demolition in the future.
On the other hand, the Telangana government is set to assign another key responsibility to HYDRA Commissioner Ranganath. It is reported that Ranganath will be appointed as the chairman of the committee established for the protection of lakes within the HMDA jurisdiction. In this context, it is also reported that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has decided to entrust HYDRA with the responsibility of protecting lakes across seven districts within the HMDA jurisdiction. If this happens, it goes without saying that HYDRA will proceed with even more vigour in dealing with illegal constructions.
