Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, September 3, said that the removal of encroachment at ponds across the state is being given a top priority and that the government will not hesitate to demolish the encroachments at all water bodies.
He added that in wake of demands increasing for the expansion of HYDRA across the Telangana, the chief minister ordered the officials to chalk out an action plan.
“The officials have been asked to prepare a report on the encroachment of ponds and lakes and also resolve pending court cases, if any. The Chief Minister gave an example of how Ram Nagar area is made a safe zone from floods by removing encroachments on the Nala in Hyderabad recently,” said the press release from the Telangana chief minister’s office.
Revanth Reddy also expressed serious concern that natural calamities like floods, landslides and torrential rains in Uttarakhand and in Telangana state are the result of the destruction of nature. The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA) has been demolishing illegal encroachments on lake beds over the last few weeks.
HYDRA has demolished encroachments on lake beds of the Bam Rukn-ud-Daula and Gandipet tanks. The agency has also reclaimed over 40 acres of land after removing the encroachments. Groups like the Forum for Good Governance have also asked the chief minister to expand HYDRA or create a state level agency in the same way.
