HYDRAA widens Bulkapur and IDL drains in Kukatpally, Khairatabad; illegal structures removed

Hyderabad: HYDRAA has launched an extensive drive to remove encroachments along the city’s stormwater drains to prevent inundation during rains.

On Friday, the enforcement teams from HYDRAA cleared illegal structures built over drains in Kukatpally and Khairatabad areas following complaints of severe waterlogging in nearby colonies.

HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath recently inspected the locations with officials and ordered immediate clearance of obstacles along the IDL and Bulkapur drains to ensure smooth flow of rainwater.

Drain width reduced from 8 metres to 5 metres due to illegal constructions

Encroachments along the Bulkapur drain near Tummalabasti in Khairatabad were removed on Friday. The Bulkapur drain originates from Bulkapur Lake in Shankarpally and flows into Hyderabad through Chintal Basti and Tummalabasti before merging into Hussain Sagar.

Over the years, illegal constructions have narrowed the drain significantly. Between Tummalabasti and Anand Nagar, where the drain should be 8 metres wide, it was reduced to just 5 metres, causing sewage overflow into homes during rains.

Acting on local complaints, HYDRAA demolished a boundary wall built by Sridhar Function Hall along the drain. In nearby areas, some residents assured they would remove their own encroachments, for which HYDRAA has given a short deadline.

Plastic and thermocol waste blocking the drain near Khairatabad junction culvert was also cleared to prevent flooding.

IDL drain clearance in Kukatpally

In Kukatpally, the IDL drain, which originates from IDL Lake, has been reduced from its original width of 7 metres to just 2 metres at several stretches due to encroachments.

This led to frequent flooding in Habeeb Nagar, Srihari Nagar and Shivashakti Nagar, with water levels rising to waist-deep during heavy rains.

HYDRAA demolished encroachments up to 3 metres wide built by NRC and NKN Function Halls along the drain. Nearly 50 to 70 metres of illegal structures were cleared to restore flow.

The IDL drain runs for about 2 km from IDL lake past Moosapet Metro Station before merging into the Kukatpally drain. Near Shivashakti Nagar, the drain had narrowed to just 1.5 metres, and HYDRAA has initiated clearance operations in this bottleneck as well.

Efforts to prevent urban flooding

HYDRAA officials stated that these clearance drives will continue in the coming days to remove all encroachments along major drains and prevent waterlogging during the monsoon.