“People are now enjoying the results of HYDRAA’s work. Those who portrayed it as a destruction agency have failed; people recognise it as a constructive agency.”
Hyderabad: During the Jubilee Hills bypoll campaign, the tech-savvy BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao used large LED screens to show videos of families allegedly affected by demolitions carried out by HYDRAA. However, voters clearly welcomed the action, saying the authority was essential for protecting water bodies and that its work had already reduced flooding even during heavy rain.
After the result were announced, residents across Jubilee Hills said voters had shown maturity and were no longer influenced by fabricated social-media content. The constituency, which includes both ultra-rich households and marginalised families, chose parties they believed were working for public welfare.
One voter said, “The BRS was in power for 10 long years but did not bring any significant development. Instead, there were several land-grabbing and settlement issues. In just two years of Congress rule, we have seen development. Since HYDRAA’s inception, lands illegally occupied with the support of the former MLA have been reclaimed. This was a major reason the Congress candidate won with a clean sweep.”
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath said, “The BRS fabricated facts by portraying this agency as a destruction force, claiming we demolished one lakh properties, when in reality we acted on only 70-80 structures that were in the Full Tank Level. Initially, such misinformation was painful, but when people realised the truth and supported us, it was a great relief.”
He added, “Good work always earns recognition. Even the Chief Minister congratulated HYDRAA.”
Explaining the ground work, he said, “HYDRAA teams worked tirelessly during floods. The DRF and monsoon emergency teams were active. Near Maitrivanam, we removed 70 truckloads of silt; in KrishnanNagar, 200 truckloads were cleared, all before the elections. People genuinely understood our disaster-management efforts. At NTR Colony in Shaikpet, under ‘Basti Se Dosti’, we removed 300 truckloads of silt. At Yellareddyguda, we resolved a 20-year dispute between residents and encroachers. One acre of reclaimed land has now become a public park used by neighbouring colonies.”
He added, “People are now enjoying the results of HYDRAA’s work. Those who portrayed it as a destruction agency have failed; people recognise it as a constructive agency.”
