Hyderabad: Since its establishment on July 19, the HYDRAA has reclaimed nearly 200 acres of land by removing encroachments from 12 lakes, eight parks, and four government properties, according to the agency’s commissioner A.V. Ranganath.
Announcing these achievements during a press meet to present the agency's annual report for 2024 and road map for 2025, here on Saturday, Ranganath said the HYDRAA has identified around 1,025 water bodies in the GHMC area using Survey of India topology sheets, cadastral and village maps, revenue records, and satellite imagery.
“Thirty-five percent of the state’s population resides in the Hyderabad metropolitan region up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR), which accounts for less than two per cent of the state’s geographical area. By 2050, this figure is projected to rise to 50 percent,” Ranganath said.
Ranganath explained that HYDRAA operates under the GHMC Act, Municipalities Act 2019, HMDA Act 2008, WALTA Act 2002, HMWS&SB Act, and Telangana Irrigation Act. Talking about the real estate development in the city, “We are redefining real estate growth in Hyderabad,” he stated.
HYDRAA has addressed over 5,800 public complaints, mostly regarding alterations in lake boundaries, drying, or disappearance of water bodies. “We resolved these issues by referencing cadastral maps, topological sheets, and high-resolution satellite images, with most complaints successfully disposed of,” Ranganath said.
Major demolitions were conducted at 12 lakes including Sunnam Cheruvu and Thammidikunta in Madhapur, Errakunta in Bachupally, Erla Cheruvu in Chandanagar, Nala Cheruvu in Kukatpally and Nalla Cheruvu in Uppal. Other sites included Bathukamma Kunta in Amberpet, Thoutanikunta in Khajaguda, Bum Rukn-ud-Dowla Lake in Rajendranagar, Appa Cheruvu in Gaganpahad, Errakunta in Tarnaka, and Katwa Cheruvu in Dundigal. “All 12 lakes are slated for rejuvenation, with proposals submitted to the government awaiting approval,” he noted.
On disaster management, Ranganath announced plans to expand HYDRAA’s disaster response force (DRF) teams from 30 to 72, extending operations to ORR limits from January. Existing teams have already resolved 4,684 issues, including 3,428 tree falls, 912 water stagnations, 199 rescue calls and 133 fire incidents.
For 2025, HYDRAA aims to complete the demarcation of full tank levels (FTL) and buffer zones for 1,095 lakes within ORR limits. The agency plans to use geofencing to prevent encroachments, expand Automatic Weather Stations for accurate forecasting and launch a dedicated HYDRAA FM radio channel for weather updates and alerts.
Ranganath also advised the public to verify property documents before purchasing to avoid illegal constructions. “Check whether documents are notarized, registered, and authorised to ensure safe transactions,” he said.
