Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner A.V. Ranganath on Tuesday announced that his agency would demolish only those structures that came up illegally after it was set up in July 2024.
The announcement, which is likely to stir the hornets' nest with the State Assembly in progress, came in the wake of increasing complaints of several reputed builders constructing high-rise structures on Full Tank Level (FTL) in several parts of the capital city.
“Any structures or houses, which are built only after HYDRAA’s formation in July 2024 will be demolished by us, and we will not touch structures built before the formation of HYDRAA”, the commissioner said, speaking at Kukatpally's Maisamma Cheruvu.
“We also wouldn’t touch any structures which are being built on the FTL and buffer zones of lakes which have obtained permissions from authorities before HYDRAA’s formation. But under-construction structures which obtained permission after July 2024 will be checked,” he said.
This sudden shift flies in the face of HYDRAA’s prior aggressive stance. Earlier, HYDRAA has demolished several structures which were fully constructed and operating well before the agency’s formation.
At Mallampet’s Sunnam Cheruvu, for instance, HYDRAA conducted demolitions of multiple residential structures which were under construction before HYDRAA was formed. Additionally, the permissions issued by the revenue and irrigation departments also predated HYDRAA’s formation, bringing Ranganath’s announcement into question.
Citizens and activists questioned HYDRAA’s inconsistent policy, and its newfound leniency towards encroachments that predate their formation.
Moreover, the commissioner’s statement does not clarify whether HYDRAA’s “new rules” will also extend to encroachments on footpaths, roads, and government properties.
