HYDERABAD: After the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection Agency (HYDRAA) came into force in July this year, as many as 262 unauthorised encroachments built-in water bodies, government lands, nalas and parks etc in 23 locations have been removed and 111.72 acres of land has been reclaimed till date.
HYDRAA has issued details of encroachments removal drives taken up and extent of land recovered on Wednesday. Over the past two months, HYDRAA has been actively demolishing structures built on the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones of various water bodies in the city.
More demolitions are expected to take place, as adequate staff and dedicated police stations have been allocated to HYDRAA. It is also being reported that the state government is planning to implement a new rule requiring a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from HYDRAA for the construction of buildings near the water bodies.
As per the report. HYDRAA authorities demolished as many as 54 illegal structures in Chinthala Cheruvu in Gajularamaram (3.5 acres), the highest number of removal followed by 45 illegal structures in Bum-rukn-ud-Dowla Lake, Rajendranagar (12 acres), 42 unauthorised structures near Sunnam Cheruvu (10 acres), Madhapur and 24 structures in Ameenpur lake and reclaimed 51.78 acres of land, 10 in Gandipet lake (6.5 acres).
The first demolition took place on June 27 at plot.no. 30 (Lotus Pond) in the Film Nagar Cooperative Society. Subsequent demolitions included structures owned by political figures, businessmen, and even the N-Convention, owned by film actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, in Tummidikunta Lake, Madhapur, on August 24, reclaiming 4.9 acres.
HYDRAA team visits NRSC for strengthening disaster response
HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath along with a team of officials visited the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to discuss critical data needs for the agency. The focus of the meeting was on accessing historical satellite view data up to 2024 and monitoring the trajectory of water bodies, resources and streams for accurate analysis and planning.
“We are also prioritising weather forecasting, rainfall status and disaster management support along with updated water source information. Access to geographical maps and a water body data viewer with real-time AWS data is essential for informed decision-making,” the HYDRAA commissioner said on X.
These datasets are critical for assessing infrastructure conditions and planning projects, he said, adding that all data will be solely used for disaster response purposes