HYDRAA demolishes unauthorised structures at Nalla Cheruvu FTL in Kukatpally, Sangareddy

Hyderabad: To protect the water bodies from the encroachments, the HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency) with the support of various government agencies have cracked a whip on unauthorised structures in the FTL and buffer zones of Nalla Cheruvu at Kukatpally.

The HYDRAA carried out the demolition exercise under the protective cover of Cyberabad Police. Sheds constructed for commercial operations within the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of Kukatpally Lake/Nalla Cheruvu have been identified.

HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath said that specifically, some individuals have built large sheds along the boundary of Kukatpally Lake for extensive commercial activities, such as catering businesses, which include substantial kitchens for cooking orders.

"Workers associated with these activities reside on the premises, and while those structures have been removed, HYDRAA will not target buildings occupied for residential purposes," he said.

The HYDRAA commissioner said that officials found that the area of the Nalla Cheruvu is 27 acres and 14 acres have been encroached. It has been found that seven acres are in the FTL and buffer zone.

More than 50 pucca houses and apartments have been constructed in four acres of buffer zone. In all, there are 25 buildings and 16 sheds in the three acres of the FTL.

"Authorities have demolished 16 (commercial sheds and compound walls) built on the Nalla Cheruvu in the Survey numbers 66,67,68,69 of Kukatpally Village, Balanagar Mandal, except the residential buildings. We have reclaimed four acres of land

However, the locals worried about the demolitions and expressed their concern that their lives would fall on the road with the HYDRAA’s exercise. They also complained that the officials had not given them enough time to take their belongings from their houses.

In a similar exercise, the HYDRAA also demolished illegal structures constructed in Kistareddypet and Patelguda under Ameenpur Municipality in Sangareddy District.

The HYDRAA officials have found that villas and apartments have been built on government lands. As a result, a three-storied building using for commercial operations (Ground floors and additional five floored buildings) in survey number 164 of Kishtareddypet village under Ameenpur mandal was demolished. One acre land was reclaimed by the HYDRAA after the demolition drive, Ranganath said.

In Patelguda, 25 RCC structure (Ground floors and one upper floored buildings) in Survey No. 12/2,12/3, Patelguda Village, Ameenpur Mandal were razed to the ground. Three acres of land was reclaimed by the HYDRAA after the demolition drive.

Meanwhile, during the demolitions, the locals became agitated and a tense situation arose. As a result, the police stopped everyone 500 metres from the place where the demolition was going on.

Teams from revenue and municipal departments have carried out the demolitions as per the orders of HYDRAA, amid police tight security monitored by Patancheru DSP Ravinder Reddy.

On Friday, the Telangana government decided to promulgate an ordinance to formalise the powers of HYDRAA as other departments like Irrigation, Revenue, Police and Urban Development. HYDRAA can now take action against people illegally occupying government land and water bodies within the limits of Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road (ORR).