HYDRAA Reclaims 7-Acres from Land Sharks in Bandlaguda

 Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) said it ahd reclaimed nearly seven acres of government land, worth more than Rs 400 crore, from encroachers in Bandlaguda’s Lalithabagh.

The action was carried out on Friday in the presence of revenue officials and under tight police security. HYDRAA officials removed iron sheet barricades and fenced the area. Notice boards were installed, declaring the land as government property and under HYDRAA protection.

The property fell under Survey No. 28, where 9.11 acres was recorded as government land. Of this, about two acres had been encroached upon earlier, and houses had come up. HYDRAA in a statement said it did not disturb these homes, and focused on securing the remaining seven acres.

According to Survey of India maps, a lake once existed on the site, but encroachers had filled it with soil and erased all signs of it. Along with the lake, a drain line was also blocked, HYDRAA said.

Despite several cases filed by revenue authorities at Bhavaninagar police station and clear court orders stating that the land belonged to the government, the encroachers did not vacate the area. The court imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore for wasting judicial time, but encroachers attempted to divide the land into plots and sell them, HYDRAA said.

Local residents and representatives of Kumhariwadi Peace Welfare Society thanked HYDRAA for acting swiftly after receiving complaints. They said the encroachments had created tension in a sensitive area with a dense population.