HYDRAA Expansion Depends On State Govt: Ranganath

Nalgonda: Commissioner AV Ranganath said on Thursday that the expansion of operations of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) to the districts will depend on the decision of the state government.

Addressing the media in Miryalaguda, he said the agency had received complaints from districts, especially from the erstwhile Nalgonda area, regarding illegal constructions and encroachments on government lands. He said extension of HYDRAA operations will be taken up as per the decision of the state government.

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

He said that the HYDRAA policy, described as the first of its kind in the country, has been successfully implemented in Telangana. Referring to an operation in Ameenpur, he said the land came under government control. He added that the institution works in accordance with the law and court directives.

The commissioner said that buildings belonging to leaders of different political parties, including MIM and Congress, were demolished as part of the exercise. He added that around 25 irrigation tanks in Hyderabad have been cleared of encroachments and plans have been made to protect 100 more tanks. He said infrastructure development works, including walking paths and parks, on the reclaimed land will be completed within two years.