Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has announced that the total value of public assets reclaimed and protected since its formation has crossed Rs 1,10,000 crore, with the agency now setting its sights on a Rs 2,00,000 crore milestone within the next year.
The agency, established in July 2024 under the Telangana government, said the achievement covers a range of public assets including lakes, nalas, parks, government lands, and blue-green resources that had been under threat from encroachments and illegal land-grabbing.HYDRAA’s cumulative tally has grown steadily since its formation.
By September 2025, the agency had reclaimed 923.14 acres across 96 anti-encroachment drives, clearing 581 encroachments and protecting assets valued at Rs 45,000–50,000 crore.
By early January 2026, the total had risen to around 1,350 acres valued at approximately Rs 65,000 crore. In the first two months of 2026, HYDRAA added a further 87.83 acres worth Rs 10,804 crore.
Among the agency’s most significant operations was a drive in April in which HYDRAA secured 861 acres of government land in Ailapur village in Ameenpur mandal, Sangareddy district, land whose current market value is estimated at over Rs 15,000 crore.
More recently, in early June, the agency fenced nearly 200 acres of government land in Puppalaguda, Gandipet Mandal, estimated to be worth Rs 30,000 crore.
The milestone announcement comes amid a political controversy sparked by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the agency’s very name. Speaking at The Hindu Huddle event in Bengaluru on June 6, Revanth claimed, “HYDRAA is Hitler’s favourite word. His core team, who could assassinate anyone, was called HYDRAA. I have taken inspiration from Hitler and named [the agency] HYDRAA.”
The remarks drew further scrutiny as HYDRAA is in fact a fictional organisation from Marvel Comics, no such group existed as Hitler’s “core team.”
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy demanded an unconditional apology, while the BRS called Revanth Reddy the “new Hitler,” alleging homes of lakhs of poor people had been demolished under HYDRAA’s drives.
HYDRAA credited its asset protection milestone to the collective efforts of citizens, media organisations, government departments, and other stakeholders, and reaffirmed its mission of reclaiming, protecting, and restoring Hyderabad’s public lands and water bodies.
This post was last modified on June 8, 2026 3:31 pm