HYDRAA reclaims 200 acres of land says Commissioner

Hyderabad, Dec 28 (PTI) The newly formed Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has reclaimed 200 acres of land, including eight parks, 12 lakes, and four government land parcels, the agency's Commissioner A V Ranganath said on Saturday.

    HYDRAA has successfully created awareness among citizens about the Full Tank Level (FTL) and 'buffer zones' of water bodies (areas where no construction should take place), he told reporters here.
    A HYDRAA police station will soon be established, he said. The agency will begin demarcating FTL in the new year and has identified 1,025 water bodies.
    Ranganath said steps would be taken in 2025 to carry out "geofencing" of parks and government lands using technology.
    Geofencing is a technology that allows the movements of a person, vehicle, etc., to be recorded or limited using satellite signals.
    HYDRAA condemned attempts by some to create a misconception that it is solely meant for demolishing unauthorised constructions, he said.
    The agency will also participate in rejuvenating lakes and is considering launching an FM channel to provide weather forecasts, the official said.
    HYDRAA will not act against residential houses built in the past, even if they are unauthorised, but illegal commercial constructions will continue to be treated as such, he added.
    The Telangana government established HYDRAA in 2024 to protect government assets, such as lakes, from encroachments and other illegal activities.
    However, the agency has faced intense criticism in recent months from the opposition, which alleges that it is demolishing poor people's houses and harming the real estate sector in the city.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)