Rs 50,000 crore govt land reclaimed in Hyderabad; six lakes set for revival by HYDRAA

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has reclaimed 923 acres of government land worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore by removing encroachments across the city.

Commissioner AV Ranganath on Monday said the agency has also rejuvenated six lakes, including Bathukamma Kunta at Amberpet, which will be formally opened to the public on September 26 by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

96 drives to clear encroachments

Addressing a press conference at his office here, Ranganath said that since its inception on July 19, 2024, HYDRAA has conducted 96 drives to clear encroachments.

So far, 581 illegal structures have been removed, reclaiming 923.14 acres of land. Government land (424 acres), Roads (218.3 acres), Lakes (233 acres), Parks (25.65) acres, Nalas (15 acres), unauthorised structures (7.14 acres).

The reclaimed land is valued between Rs 45,000 and Rs 50,000 crore.

Encroachments removed in Gajularamaram

Citing a recent operation, Ranganath said rowdy-sheeters in Gajularamaram had encroached upon government land using fake pattas (documents) and even started constructions.

“On Sunday, we demolished 260 such illegal structures,” he stated.

Urbanisation, pollution and worsening rains

The Commissioner expressed concern that concretisation of open spaces is preventing rainwater from percolating into the soil. As a result, lakes are unable to store water, and pollution is contributing to more intense rainfall within urban areas.

Call to Gen Z

Emphasising the role of youth, Ranganath said, “The future belongs to the younger generation. Gen Z must start thinking seriously about protecting parks and lakes.”

Citizen complaints addressed

Elaborating further, the Commissioner said that the HYDRAA has received nearly 5,000 complaints regarding encroachments on lakes, parks, nalas, roads and government lands. About 75 per cent of these have been resolved, with priority given to basti areas and waterlogging-prone zones.

Lakes under threat

The Commissioner pointed out that around 60 lakes have already vanished from the city landscape due to rampant encroachments and neglect. However, six lakes have been fully rejuvenated, restoring part of Hyderabad’s ecological balance.

51 Disaster Response Force teams on standby

The disaster response wing of HYDRAA works around the clock with a dedicated control room and coordinates with NDRF, IMD, GHMC and other state/national agencies.

Currently, 51 Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams with 825 personnel are deployed across the city. This will be increased to 72 teams this year.

He also said that as many as 150 monsoon emergency teams with 2,250 personnel are positioned across GHMC wards. As many as 368 static personnel are stationed at 240 chronic waterlogging points.

During the current monsoon, DRF teams attended to 4,625 tree fall cases, 319 fire accidents, 1,613 water stagnation complaints, 35 building collapses and 221 rescue calls.

Use of technology and GIS mapping

HYDRAA has been leveraging GIS, drones, AI, IoT and satellite imagery for asset protection and disaster preparedness.

- 1,252 lakes have been mapped with validated boundaries across the 2,053 sq km TCUR region.

- A 4,932 km nala and stream network has been mapped, detecting 94 new encroachments.

- 453 waterlogging points, 680 culverts and 341 vulnerable colonies have been identified.

- A central command and control dashboard has been established to issue flood alerts, monitor encroachments, and track complaints.

14 more Hyderabad lakes identified for rejuvenation

Six lakes are being restored at a cost of Rs 58.40 crore: Sunnam Cheruvu (Madhapur), Thammidikunta Lake (Madhapur), Nalla Cheruvu (Uppal), Bum-Ruk-Uddin-Dowla Lake (Rajendranagar), Nalla Cheruvu (Kukatpally) and Bathukamma Kunta (Amberpet).

The rejuvenation has expanded the water spread of these lakes from 105 acres to 180 acres, reclaiming about 75 acres of encroached land. Fourteen more lakes have been identified for future rejuvenation, with proposals sent to the government.

Future road map

HYDRAA plans to:

- Finalise Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones for lakes and nalas using drone-based mapping.

- Introduce annual change detection monitoring.

- Implement geo-fencing for tanks, nalas, and public assets.

- Integrate spatial and non-spatial datasets for holistic management.

- Install 1,000 CCTV cameras across 180 lakes for Rs 8.6 crore.