Durgam Cheruvu shrinks from 160 to 116 acres; HYDRAA clears 5 acres of illegal encroachments

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA) on Tuesday cleared encroachments spread over nearly five acres of Durgam Cheruvu, intensifying efforts to restore the historic lake whose area has steadily shrunk due to illegal occupation over the past decades.

Encroachments removed near Madhapur

The eviction drive was carried out on the Madhapur side of the lake, close to Inorbit Mall, where large portions of the lakebed had been illegally filled with soil.

The reclaimed land was being used as a commercial parking space, allegedly earning up to Rs 50 lakh per month.

HYDRAA officials cleared the parked vehicles and erected fencing to prevent further misuse. Steps are now underway to remove the dumped soil and restore the natural lakebed.

Action based on public complaint

The operation followed complaints received through Prajavani. Acting swiftly, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath ordered a detailed field inquiry involving officials from multiple departments.

The inquiry confirmed large-scale encroachments within the lake’s Full Tank Level (FTL), leading to Tuesday’s clearance operation.

A lake that once served Golconda

Surrounded by rocky hills and once famed as a pristine ‘Secret Lake,’ Durgam Cheruvu historically supplied drinking water to the Golconda rulers.

Located today in the heart of Hyderabad’s IT corridor, the lake has suffered severe degradation due to encroachments and sewage inflows, losing much of its original expanse and ecological character.

Shrinking from 160 acres to 116

Official records reveal that the lake originally spread across nearly 160 acres. By 1976, encroachments had already reduced it by about 29 acres.

While the lake remained relatively intact until 1995, further encroachments between 1995 and 2000 claimed another 10 acres. Since 2000, an additional five acres have been lost, leaving the lake with only about 116 acres today.

Satellite images from the National Remote Sensing Centre clearly document the progressive loss of lake area over the years.

Soil dumping and parking racket

On the Madhapur–Inorbit Mall side, encroachers allegedly dumped soil up to 10–15 metres deep, gradually advancing into the lake.

The reclaimed land was used for parking school buses and vehicles belonging to IT companies, despite the absence of valid land records. The encroachment also obstructed plans for a walking track around the lake.

Restoration efforts underway

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority had issued a preliminary notification in 2014 fixing the lake’s area at 160.7 acres.

HYDRAA is now re-verifying the lake’s original extent using Survey of India maps, NRSC satellite imagery and revenue records.

Until this process is completed, the agency will continue removing encroachments within the lake boundary as part of its ongoing protection and restoration drive.