HYDRAA Expansion Depends On State Govt: Ranganath

Nalgonda: Expansion of operations by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) to districts will depend on a decision by the state government, commissioner A.V. Ranganath said on Thursday.

Addressing the media in Miryalaguda, he said the agency has been receiving complaints from districts, particularly the erstwhile Nalgonda district, regarding illegal constructions and encroachments on government land. He said any extension of HYDRAA operations would be taken up based on the state government’s decision.

Ranganath said HYDRAA has received around 30,000 complaints so far. He stated that land worth ₹10 lakh crore had been encroached upon in Hyderabad, and that about 2,100 acres had been protected and reclaimed.

He said the HYDRAA policy, described as the first of its kind in the country, was being implemented in Telangana with results. Referring to an operation in Ameenpur, he said land had been brought under government control. He added that the agency was functioning in accordance with the law and court directions.

The commissioner said structures belonging to leaders from different political parties, including MIM and Congress, had been demolished as part of enforcement. He added that around 25 irrigation tanks in Hyderabad had been cleared of encroachments, and plans were in place to protect another 100. He said infrastructure development, including walking tracks and parks on reclaimed land, would be completed within two years.