HYDERABAD: Rapid urbanisation and encroachment of water bodies are aggravating flood risks in Hyderabad, with satellite imagery showing that nearly 69% of the city’s lakes have been encroached upon, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath said.
Addressing 117 Young Disaster Management Volunteers undergoing training at the HYDRAA centre in Nagole on Wednesday, Ranganath said protecting and restoring lakes was central to reducing urban flooding. HYDRAA was working to ensure that stormwater flowed through nalas into lakes during heavy rains, and measures taken in several areas had demonstrated that improving nalas and lakes could help control flooding, he said.
The volunteers, comprising college students from Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, were urged to work closely with HYDRAA and other government agencies during emergencies. Their local presence would enable them to quickly reach affected areas, alert authorities and help prevent loss of life and property, Ranganath said.
Ranganath also cautioned that unauthorised constructions posed a serious disaster risk. He cited the recent collapse of a seven-storey building at Anjaiahnagar in Gachibowli and the leaning building in Siddiqnagar in 2024 as examples of man-made disasters.