HYDRAA police station opens to public

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has emphasized the urgent need to shield Hyderabad from the urban chaos seen in other major Indian cities.

Revanth Reddy inaugurated the first HYDRAA Police Station at Buddha Bhavan in Secunderabad on Thursday and launched the new website of HYDRAA developed by the Centre for Good Governance (CGG) on the occasion.

“Hyderabad must not suffer the fate of other metropolitan cities grappling with floods, pollution, and crumbling infrastructure,” Reddy stated. Citing examples of Bengaluru’s recent water crisis, flooding in Mumbai and Chennai, and hazardous pollution levels in Delhi, he warned of a similar future if proactive steps aren’t taken.

“Illegal encroachments are choking the city. If we don’t act now, we’ll be forced to face the consequences. HYDRAA is our response—a step to enforce order, protect natural assets, and ensure Hyderabad doesn’t go down the same path,” the chief minister said.

Preserving Heritage, Protecting the Future

Revanth Reddy underlined the importance of preserving Hyderabad’s historical lakes and tanks, calling them vital for the city’s survival. HYDRAA is key to preserving Hyderabad’s 450-year-old legacy. Good governance means making hard decisions, and we're ready to take them—even in the face of criticism,” he said.

Drawing from history, he recalled the 1908 Hyderabad floods that moved the Nizam to invite engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya to build the Musi River drainage system. “We want to revive that spirit and reclaim the Old City not as a neglected area, but as the 'Original City'—rich in culture and worthy of pride,” he added.

‘HYDRAA is protection, not demolition’

Dispelling rumors, the chief minister clarified that HYDRAA is not a demolition squad, but a force for public safety. “Encroachments are blocking drainage, turning even mild showers into flooding events. HYDRAA acts swiftly—clearing roads, protecting lakes, and reclaiming public infrastructure.”

He accused powerful individuals of blocking access to poor colonies and polluting lakes with waste from illegal guesthouses and farmhouses. “Those who fear HYDRAA are the ones damaging the city,” he said.

“Double Standards Must Stop”

The chief minister also challenged critics who claim HYDRAA’s actions hurt real estate. “Didn’t the BJP clean the Ganga and Yamuna? When they do it, it’s praised. But when we clean Musi, it's politicized. Why the double standard?”

Highlighting development setbacks, he revealed that opposition leaders resisted progress in Kanch-Gachibowli and ignored encroachments on 400 acres of public land for over a decade. "We reclaimed that land from IMG Bharat through legal action. It has the potential to create one lakh jobs. But some are intent on blocking Hyderabad’s growth,” he said.

Earlier, Revanth Reddy also flagged off new vehicles for the HYDRAA Disaster Response Team after launching the first HYDRAA police station. The details of HYDRAA vehicles launched by the chief minister include DRF vehicles -21, Scorpios- 55, Innova Cresta- 04, Minibuses and Trucks- 05 and Two wheelers- 37.

HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath, GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, MLC Addanki Dayakar, Home Secretary Ravi Gupta, Secretary (HMDA limits) K Ilambarithi were also present.