HYDRAA Demolishes Illegal Constructions At Gachibowli

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Monday carried out a major demolition drive against illegal constructions allegedly built by Sandhya Sridhar Rao along the main Gachibowli road, near the DLF street food line.

The action was taken in compliance with High Court orders directing officials to restore the original roads inside the Fertilisers Corporation of India (FCI) Employees’ Cooperative Housing Society layout.

HYDRAA officials told Deccan Chronicle that several structures were constructed across 40-feet roads, parks and open spaces earmarked in the approved layout. A five-storey building, erected using an iron frame placed across a 40-feet road, was completely dismantled to clear the stretch. Mango Food Court and UNO Food Court, both built by blocking portions of the same 40-feet road, were also demolished.

Officials removed portions of a petrol bunk that had extended into the road and cleared around 40 food containers and Chinese fast-food stalls set up across two 25-feet internal roads.

The cellar ramps of a hospital building encroaching upon a 40-feet road were demolished as well. In total, HYDRAA cleared illegal constructions at seven different locations, restored road boundaries and reopened the routes for public use.

While hearing multiple petitions related to the layout, the High Court criticised the encroachments made by Sandhya Convention owner, Sandhya Sridhar Rao. The court observed that once a layout is approved, the roads and parks within it cannot be taken over, even if a majority of plots are owned by a single individual.

The FCI Employees’ Cooperative Housing Society layout, formed in the 1980s, spans over 20 acres with 162 plots. Plot owners had complained to HYDRAA that Sandhya Sridhar Rao had erased portions of the layout and encroached upon the land.

They alleged that more than 30 cases had been filed against him over the years, including at least five related specifically to the layout.

In May, HYDRAA demolished Sandhya Convention’s mini-convention hall — a G+2 iron shed — along with ten restroom and kitchen structures that were also part of the encroached area. The agency also razed the iron fencing and archways erected around the disputed land.

Authorities said they had previously received several complaints from victims around the world, including one from a woman in Delhi who alleged that her husband died by suicide after Sridhar Rao and his associates claimed that the plot he purchased no longer existed.

After the High Court’s latest directive to remove all encroachments, HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath ordered the demolition operation on Monday, following which the illegal structures were removed.