The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has achieved a major milestone, reclaiming a staggering 923.14 acres of public assets and government land, valued at approximately ₹50,000 crore, in the last year. HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath announced the success on Monday, detailing the agency’s dedicated efforts since its formation on July 19 last year.
Major Anti-Encroachment Drives
Since its inception, HYDRAA has conducted 96 drives to remove approximately 581 encroachments. The reclaimed land breakdown includes:
- Government Land: 424 acres
- Lakes: 233 acres
- Roads: 218 acres
- Parks: 25 acres
- Nalas (Stormwater Drains): 15 acres
The Commissioner noted that HYDRAA has received close to 5,000 complaints regarding encroachments on public spaces and illegal layouts. A significant 75 per cent of these complaints have been successfully redressed, with a strong focus on resolving waterlogging issues and settlement disputes.
Focus on Lake Restoration and Technology
As part of its mandate, HYDRAA is dedicated to the protection and rejuvenation of public assets. The agency has undertaken the restoration of six lakes at a cost of ₹58.40 crore.
Notably, the Bathukamma Lake at Amberpet is now ready for inauguration by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on September 26. These six rejuvenation projects alone have increased the total lake area from 105 acres to 180 acres, effectively retrieving 75 acres of encroached lake lands.
Looking ahead, HYDRAA is embracing technology to secure assets:
- Installation of 1,000 CCTV cameras across 180 lakes in the GHMC jurisdiction is currently underway, budgeted at ₹8.60 crore.
- Proposals for the rejuvenation of 14 more lakes have been sent to the government.
- Future plans include drone-based FTL finalisation (Full Tank Level) for lakes, annual change detection, and geo-fencing of tanks, nalas, and government assets.
Disaster Response Force Expansion
HYDRAA was constituted by the Telangana government as a dedicated agency for disaster prevention and mitigation, alongside protecting public assets within the Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR). Currently, the agency has 51 Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams with 825 personnel addressing emergencies. Commissioner Ranganath announced plans to expand the force to 72 teams this year to enhance preparedness and response capabilities.
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