HYDRAA reclaims 67.48 acres of land in latest operations
The Hindu
HYDRAA demolishes illegal constructions in Hyderabad lakes, reclaiming 67.48 acres of land in latest operations.
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Agency (HYDRAA) in its latest phase of operations used heavy machinery to demolish large sheds, compound walls, and razed villas that were allegedly constructed within four lakes.
The demolitions carried out between August 31 and September 8 took place at Appa Cheruvu, Ameenpur lake, Sunnam Cheruvu in Madhapur, and Katwa lake in Dundigal. According to HYDRAA, 3.2 acres were recovered at Appa Cheruvu, where 14 sheds were demolished; 51.78 acres at Ameenpur lake, where four sheds and 20 compound walls were razed; and 10 acres at Sunnam Cheruvu, where 13 ground-plus-one (G+1) villas were demolished.
The demolitions at Appa Cheruvu and Ameenpur lake were a part of a drive in conjunction with other departments and civic bodies. In total, 67.48 acres were recovered in the latest round of reclamation, according to data HYDRAA released.
In the recent past, properties reportedly connected to prominent politicians, and businessmen, as well as film stars fell like a pack of cards to HYDRAA’s earth-movers.
These included structures reportedly connected to former Union Minister M.M. Pallam Raju’s brother Pallam Anand, and Sunil Reddy, who contested from Manthani on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, in Gandipet. Structures connected to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen legislators Mohammed Mubeen, and Mirza Rahmat Baig were demolished in Bam Rukn-ud-Dowla. Sheds at film star Nagarjuna’s N Convention in Thummidikunta lake too were razed.
From June 27 to September 8, as many as 23 drives took place that resulted in a removal of 262 “encroachments” and a recovery of 111.72 acres.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reiterated his zero-tolerance policy towards lake encroachments, and stated that demolition of structures within the full tank level and buffer zones would continue.