HYDRAA launches drive to identify encroached lakes; sets up toll-free number

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA), has begun the process to identify the list of the lakes that are under encroachment in the capital city.

“It may take a few more days for HYDRAA to establish and begin its functioning in a full-fledged manner. In the meanwhile, the staff at ground level are asked to gather the complete details of the encroachments and illegal constructions near the lakes within Hyderabad and other neighboring districts. We have sought the support of the revenue department officials to verify the records and identify the portion of the lake encroached and come up with a plan of action to remove the illegal construction,” HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath told NewsMeter.

HYDRAA is the brainchild of Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy.

Toll-free number to report HYDRAA about encroachments

Ranganath said that the government had entrusted the protection of the lakes within Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits to the newly appointed HYDRAA. “We have set up a toll-free number:18005990099, and the public can dial the number to report the encroachments in their vicinity to the HYDRAA. By the end of August, staff will be appointed in the HYDRA in a full-fledged manner. From then, a focus will be laid on removing the encroachments near the lakes in a phased manner,” he said.

According to the GHMC officials, almost two years ago, the BRS government directed them to issue a notification after identifying the Full Tank Level (FTL) for all the 3,689 lakes under the GHMC and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). However, so far, only 212 lakes have been fully notified, and the draft notification was given to 2,375 lakes. In Hyderabad, the officials have primarily notified only 27 lakes out of the total of 185 major lakes. On the other hand, the officials have preliminarily identified thousands of acres of land as being under encroachment with several illegal constructions under the lake's FTL limits.

What is HYDRAA and its function?

To protect the lakes and government lands from encroachments in Hyderabad, the Telangana government has recently established a single, unified agency for disaster management in the Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR). The TCUR term refers to the area comprising the entire GHMC and such areas of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, and Sangareddy districts up to ORR.

Within 2,000 square kilometers of the city's territory, HYDRAA would be in charge of protecting lakes, waterbodies, and government land. Teams from GHMC, HMDA, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), city traffic police, and other departments would be exclusively assigned to the HYDRAA.

The HYDRAA shall also comprise of Asset Protection Wing, Disaster Management Wing, and Logistical Support Wing and an indicative list of roles and responsibilities of the three wings of HYDRAA are given below.

Whenever the HYDRAA is required to exercise penal or regulatory powers vested with other relevant Authorities, the HYDRAA may coordinate and function along with such Authorities or shall entrust relevant powers and responsibilities to HYDRAA under the procedure established under relevant Acts / Rules, as the case may be.