HYDRAA Goes on Full Steam to Protect Lakes

Hyderabad:Within two weeks, the Hyderabad Disaster Relief and Asset-Protection Agency (HYDRAA) executed around 10 major encroachment drives saving government land worth crores of rupees including the full tank level (FTL) and buffer zones of lakes. The enforcement activity, the officials say, will continue.

According to the officials of HYDRA, within a month, a significant change will be visible at city lakes with a reduced number of encroachments.

Erla Cheruvu in the Chandanagar circle, Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla lake in Shivrampally near Shastripuram, Nandagiri Hills in Jubilee Hills and MLA Colony in Road Number 12, Banjara Hills are some of the places where enforcement activities have been executed by HYDRAA recently.

HYDRAA is utilising the services of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Balanagar to check the extent to which the lakes have shrunk. As per the HYDRAA data, between 1979 and 2024, the extent of lakes in the city has reduced by 61 per cent. There are 185 lakes within GHMC limits and 400 lakes within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits.

According to the data, within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) region, Thummalakunta has been completely encroached (100 per cent), Pedda Cheruvu has been encroached by 96 per cent and Nalla Cheruvu has been encroached by 90 per cent.

In addition to clearing the encroachments, HYDRAA has planned to revive city lakes and ensure the water channels that connect the lakes and water bodies are free of encroachments. “If a lake is full, the water has to flow into a nearby water body and not gush into colonies. To make this possible, works including removal of encroachments on nalas will be taken up," said an official from HYDRAA.

HYDRAA is also involving resident welfare associations (RWAs) who are coming forward to fence the land parcels and full tank level (FTLs) of lakes. On an average, HYDRAA is getting around 100 encroachment complaints every day.

People can contact HYDAA officials on toll-free number 1800-599-0099 or landlines 040-2596 0509, 040-2596 5758, 040-2956 0593 or WhatsApp 9000113667.