HYDRAA reclaims 4,000 sq yd park site worth over Rs 30 Cr from encroachers in Pocharam

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has successfully reclaimed a 4,000-square-yard park site valued at over Rs 30 crore from encroachers at Doctors’ Colony, Chowdaryguda, under Pocharam Municipality in Medchal–Malkajgiri district.

Decades-old encroachment exposed

The land was originally earmarked for a public park in a 1985 layout, which covered 26.9 acres and included 500 residential plots. Ironically, the very individuals who had developed the layout later encroached upon the park site.

Investigations revealed that Amudala Ramesh, son of one of the original developers, Amudala Narasimha, allegedly fabricated documents and sold the 4,000-square-yard park area as five plots of 800 square yards each to a person named Kulkarni.

Chain of illegal sales

Kulkarni subsequently divided the land further into 20 plots of 200 square yards each and sold them to multiple individuals, including Rajesh and Somani, among others.

As a result, the land meant for community recreation had been converted into private holdings over time, sparking protests from the Doctors’ Colony Welfare Association.

Residents take the matter to authorities

Members of the Welfare Association lodged repeated complaints with municipal officials and even approached the High Court, seeking justice. In September this year, the residents approached HYDRAA through its “Prajavani” grievance platform, requesting intervention.

Taking cognisance of the issue, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath directed officials to carry out a joint field inspection in coordination with the concerned departments. The inspection confirmed that the disputed land had indeed been marked as “Park Area” in the approved layout.

HYDRAA removes encroachments

Acting on the Commissioner’s directions, HYDRAA officials launched an operation on Friday to clear the encroachments. The team removed all illegal structures, fenced the entire 4,000-square-yard park area, and installed HYDRAA property boards, thereby reclaiming the land for public use.

Residents express gratitude

With the restoration of the park site, residents of Doctors’ Colony finally breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ve been fighting this battle for years. HYDRAA’s timely and firm action has protected our park and upheld the community’s rights,” said representatives of the Doctors’ Colony Welfare Association.

A landmark action

The recovery of the Rs 30-crore public asset stands as one of HYDRAA’s notable interventions in recent times, demonstrating the authority’s commitment to protecting open spaces and ensuring planned urban development across the city’s suburbs, the officials said.