HYDRA in 30 Days: A glance at agency's demolition drives

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA) formed for the protection of water bodies and government properties, has so far reclaimed 43.94 acres of land of lakes, ponds, and other water bodies. 

A month after its formation, the HYDRA officials submitted an action taken report to the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government. According to the report, the authorities undertook demolitions of 158 illegal constructions at 18 places to reclaim the land in the Flood Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of the water bodies. It also found influential politicians and VIPs among those who encroached the government lands and undertook illegal constructions violating the guidelines. 

Soon after taking charge, the HYDRA Commissioner AV Ranganath began the demolition drive in Film Nagar Co-operative Society on June 27 and razed the authorised construction owned by an individual named Narne Gokul. He had encroached upon 0.16 acres of park land in Lotus Pond. 

The drive against the illegal constructions continued in areas like Mansoorabad, Banjara Hills, BJR Nagar, MLAs colony, and outskirts like Hayathnagar and Gajularamaram.   

A glance at HYDRA demolition drives: 

• Reclaimed 12 acres of heritage lake Bum-Rukn-Ud-Dowla in Rajendranagar; several illegal structures were belonging to AIMIM MLA Mohammed Mubeen and MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig 
• Encroachments on 3.5 acres of Chintal Lake were razed to grounds; BRS leader Ratnakaram Sai Raju, had erected erecting temporary sheds on the lake 
• Encroachments on a park in Nandagiri Hills in posh Jubilee Hills were also removed; MLA Danam Nagender was booked for resisting the officials on duty
• HYDRA cleared encroachment on a park in Lotus Pond; Gokul Narne had encroached 0.16 acres in the area  

Also Read: 26 August Sakshi Cartoon: HYDRA successfully breaks the pot of “unauthorised structures”