HYDRAA removes encroachments to save government land, pond
Hyderabad, June 24
Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency saved government land worth Rs.1,000 crore in IT Corridor and a pond on the city outskirts by removing encroachments.
The agency saved five acres of government land in Khanamet village of Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district on Tuesday.
HYDRAA said some people tried to acquire valuable land in Survey No. 42 on the way from Metal Charminar to HITEX Exhibition Centre. Two temporary sheds were built there and a room was also constructed.
HYDRA received a complaint from the revenue department that a fencing is being erected around the land with iron sheets.
Serilingampally revenue officials have been claiming this land as their own for many years and preventing anyone from coming there.
HYDRAA entered the scene on their request and removed two temporary sheds, the constructed room and the fencing. After removing all encroachments, HYDRAA fenced around 5 acres of government land.
The agency also erected HYDRAA boards claiming it as government land. The value of this land is estimated to be around Rs.1,000 crore.
In another operation, HYDRAA removed encroachment in Marripalli pond in Marripalli village of Abdullahpurmet mandal of Rangareddy district.
The agency said the encroacher set up RMC unit on their patta land and dumped the soil to encroach on the pond. He also constructed sheds for the workers to live within the perimeter of the pond FTL. He tried to encroach five acres of land.
Acting on public complaint, HYDRAA took up investigation with the authorities concerned at the field level. It removed the sheds on Tuesday and erected fencing to ensure FTL boundaries. It led the way by providing opportunities for farm work.
HYDRAA ordered the encroacher to remove the silt dumped in the pond.
According to Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) records, the total area of Marripalli pond is 31.05 acres. HYDRAA has taken steps to protect the water body.
HYDRAA said early this month that it successfully reclaimed and protected public assets worth over Rs 1.10 lakh crore in less than two years.
It exuded confidence of moving towards the Rs 2 lakh crore protection milestone within the next year.
The agency said that it reclaimed and protected lakes, nalas, parks, government lands, and blue-green resources.
These priceless public assets, once under threat from encroachments and land-grabbing activities, have been safeguarded for future generations, it said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good work but I'm skeptical. How many more ponds and government lands are still being encroached upon across Telangana? One operation at a time is too slow. Also, who were these encroachers? Need to see arrests and strong legal action, not just removal of sheds. Otherwise it'll come back.
Rs.1.10 lakh crore recovered in less than two years? That's impressive but also scary – how did we lose so much public wealth in the first place? Our bureaucracy and local politicians have been sleeping for decades. HYDRAA is doing what the system should have done. Kudos to the Commissioner!
As someone who moved to Hyderabad for work, I love seeing the lakes being protected. Marripalli pond restoration will help recharge groundwater and improve local climate. This is how a city should manage its natural resources. Well done, HYDRAA team!
I wish they would focus on residential areas too. We have encroachments on lake beds in my neighborhood that have been there for 20 years. But I understand they have to start somewhere. The IT Corridor land is valuable but so are our lakes. Consistent pressure needed on all fronts.
Not bad for a government agency. But let's see if they can maintain it without the encroachments reappearing. In many Indian cities, the same land gets re-encroached after a few months. Hope HYDRAA has a monitoring mechanism in place. Also need to address the root cause – corruption in revenue department.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.