HYDRAA reclaims Rs 50,000 crore land in anti-encroachment drives
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has reclaimed 923 acres of land valued at an estimated Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 crore through 96 drives against illegal encroachments on lakes and parks since July 2024, Commissioner AV Ranganath announced on Monday.
The announcement was made during a press conference detailing the agency's efforts to restore the city's water bodies and green spaces. The reclaimed land includes 233 acres from lake encroachments, 218.3 acres from road encroachments, 424 acres of general government land, 25.65 acres from parks, and 15 acres from nalas.
Approximately 5000 complaints on encroachments of lakes, parks, roads, nalas, govt land and illegal layouts, etc., have been received in HYDRAA so far, since its inception through Prajavani, WhatsApp, Twitter, e-mail, by post and in-person. Almost 75% of complaints were redressed with a focus on bustis and resolving waterlogging issues.
Focus on Lake Rejuvenation
To mitigate flooding, the HYDRAA is focusing on rejuvenating water bodies and desilting nalas. HYDRAA has undertaken the Restoration and Rejuvenation. Six lakes are under restoration at an estimated cost of Rs 58.40 crores including Sunnam Cheruvu at Madhapur, Thammidikunta Lake at Madhapur, Nalla Cheruvu Uppal, Bum-Ruk-Uddin-Dowla Lake Rajendranagar, Nalla Cheruvu Kukatpalli Lake, and Bathakammakunta at Amberpet. Ranganath stated that the capacity of the six lakes is being expanded from 105 acres to 180 acres, thus retrieving about 75 acres of encroached land.
The Bathakammakunta Lake at Amberpet is ready for opening by the Hon’ble Chief Minister for the public on 26-09-2025. The process of finalization of FTL & Buffer Zones for lakes and nalas is under progress. "From Oct 25 onwards, we will commence publishing lake notifications. Installation of 1000 CCTVs in 180 lakes in GHMC jurisdiction is under process with an estimated cost of Rs. 8.60 Crores" added Ranganath. Further, 14 more lakes have been identified for rejuvenation and proposals have been sent to the Government.
On non-rainy days, desilting work is given prominence. For instance, 20 trucks of silt were removed from Maitrivanam alone, with over 2000 trucks removed across Hyderabad. Disaster response is being scaled up, with plans to increase DRF teams from 51 to 72, alongside 150 Monsoon Emergency Teams and 240 static teams deployed at waterlogging points. Coordination with agencies like the IMD is ongoing.
A total of 24,653 de-clogging of catch pits, 3,193 nala encroachments, 7,457 water logging points cleaning, 689 culvert obstructions etc., were carried out during this monsoon season. So far, 4,625 tree falls, 319 fire accidents, 1,613 water stagnation/catch pits, 35 building collapses, and 221 rescue calls were attended to by DRF teams.
Land-grabbing cases
The agency has filed 11 cases against builders, including Vertex, Vamsiram, and Vasavi, for alleged involvement in nala and lake encroachments. “Investigations are being pursued rigorously with scientific methods. We are retrieving and analyzing call data records and WhatsApp messages to establish intent and pinpoint responsibility,” Ranganath said.
Addressing allegations, the Commissioner stated, “So far we have been booked over 11 cases against builders, because of which they are scared of HYDRAA. Many claims say that HYDRAA is working with builders for them, but these are completely false.”
Gajularamaram crackdown
The commissioner addressed specific enforcement actions. In Gajularamaram, 260 of 900 identified illegal structures were demolished. Ranganath alleged the involvement of rowdy sheeters and the use of fake pattas (land documents) in a typical land-grabbing pattern, where small rooms are built and sold for a few thousand rupees.
He stated that action primarily targets new construction and that 60-70% of existing residential structures were untouched. The focus, he said, is on identifying the original accused who sold the land.
He acknowledged public uproar against drives but stated they also receive praise. He affirmed that houses of the poor are not being demolished and that the agency will recommend action against government officials who connived with land grabbers.
Urban Flood Management a Key Driver
The push against encroachments is linked to urban flood management. Ranganath noted that narrowed nalas, some reduced from 10 metres wide to just 1-2 metres, significantly impaired drainage. The poorest residents in low-lying areas and bastis are often the most affected during floods, a pattern witnessed in recent years.
Rejuvenated cheruvu (lakes) and parks with trees are intended to mitigate flooding and provide a cooling effect for the city. Ranganath affirmed that the drive against illegal constructions would continue.
Technology-Driven Enforcement and Flood Management
The agency's technological operations include a Geospatial Intelligence (GIS Wing), accurate mapping, monitoring, and change detection of lakes, tanks, nalas, and assets that have mapped 1,252 lakes and a 4,932 km nala network, identifying 94 new encroachments. Further 453 waterlogging points, 680 culverts, and 341 vulnerable colonies have been mapped for disaster preparedness. A command and control dashboard uses smart cameras, drones, and satellite imagery for surveillance and flood alerts.
