FTL of all lakes in ORR to be determined in next 4-5 months: HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath

Hyderabad: HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath said the majority of issues will be resolved after the lakes in the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area and the city have had their Full Tank Level (FTL) determined.

Ranganath said that in the next four or five months, the FTL will be confirmed for all the lakes in the ORR area without any doubt, and in the future, we will take action to prevent the encroachment of the lakes.

HYDRAA receives 89 complaints via Prajavani

The public grievance redressal forum `Prajavani’, held at the HYDRAA’s office in Buddha Bhavan received as many as 89 complaints from the public, where a majority of the complaints were regarding illegal encroachments and unauthorized structures.

An elderly couple who participated in the Prajavani filed a complaint with the HYDRAA Commissioner and stated that around 2,000 yards of parkland are being encroached on Anjaneya Nagar Road No. 9 in Moosapet.

Even though the park's foundation stone has been set, and the state government has allocated Rs 50 lakh for its development, encroachers have even attacked park guards. Also, the encroachers stopped officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from erecting a wall to enclose the park.

After hearing their complaint, Ranganath directed the officials concerned to visit the parkland and initiate appropriate action against the encroachers. Another grievance concerned the invasion of open spaces in the Defence Colony in Secunderabad, which had previously been permitted by the colony welfare organization.

According to their complaint, the local corporator had leased a 1,000-square-yard open space in the Defence Colony of Neredmet (136 Division) that had been unlawfully encroached upon. They stated that an 80-foot road widening project was also being considered, which they felt may seriously jeopardize the open area, which they firmly believed was intended for public use.

“We have already complained to HYDRAA on December 3 regarding another open space that was improperly registered. On December 31, 2024, HYDRAA assisted in reviving that open space as our New Year's gift," said Jyothi Chowdary Bandi, vice-president of the present Defence Colony Residents’ Welfare Association.

Another complaint concerning a well-known builder filling up a stormwater drain to create a gated community in Attapur was brought to AV Ranganath's attention. After going through the details, he ordered a ground assessment and action after examining the encroachment on satellite photos.

Likewise, a couple in their 60s complained that Medikunta Cheruvu in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district's Nizampet municipality was gradually diminishing as a result of encroachments. They informed the HYDRAA Commissioner that the water body was first spread out over around 45 acres. The elderly couple asked HYDRAA to mark the full tank level (FTL) and use the lake's buffer zone for public use.

The HYDRAA also received several complaints about encroachments in the municipality of Ameenpur during the Prajavani. Ranganath assured that a comprehensive survey of the lands under the municipality would be taken up.

Residents complain over encroachments

During the public grievance redressal forum, residents from various parts of the city addressed HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath directly with their objections and issues over the encroachment of lakes, parks, highways, and government lands in and surrounding their area.

Ranganath examined each complaint using maps from Google and the Survey of India, as well as satellite data from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). He also showed the petitioners how the land in question looked before and after HYDRAA was constituted.

After conducting a comprehensive investigation into each complaint, Ranganath asked the relevant officials and gave the petitioners his word that their complaints would be addressed.