Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has launched a major demolition drive on Road number 41 in Jubilee Hills on Friday, May 23, to clear illegal constructions along a stormwater drains and a road.
The initiative aimed to restore natural waterways and enhance flood resilience in the city.
HYDRAA’s demolition drive in Hyderabad
Early Friday morning, HYDRAA enforcement teams began demolishing unauthorized structures built over a critical nala (stormwater drain) near Peddamma Temple.
The operation which started at 6 am has already cleared encroachments on the nala and 30 ft road, and showed path for two-acre park in the locality.
HYDRAA officials claimed that public property worth Rs 200 crore has been reclaimed and saved it for public utility.
The demolitions were carried out after HYDRAA ascertained that the road and nala were encroached upon, and after getting a go-ahead from the court, the demolitions were carried out.
The story behind the encroachments
One Avasarala Srinivas Rao owns 1,000 sq yd land on Jubilee hills road number 41. He built a house in 200 sq yd land. The land is located close to Jubilee Hills Peddamma temple. He then gave that land to Krothupalli Srinivas on rent.
Right beside the house there is a 30 ft road through which one can enter a 2-acre park. However, the tenant (Krothupalli Srinivas) closed that road, leaving no scope to enter the park.
On that road there is a box-shaped nala. The tenant occupied the nala and half the road. He merged the occupied road-cum-nala with the vacant land of the house and built a hostel. In some vacant land in the backyard, he built a shed and rented it out for a car service center.
According to HYDRAA officials, he encroached a total of 907 sq yd area, and has been collecting rents amounting to Rs 10 lakh. All these developments happened without the notice of the land owner.
The tenant encroacher files petition in High Court
On receiving a complaint about the encroachment, HYDRAA served a notice to the tenant to vacate the property. However, the tenant filed a writ petition in the High Court.
The High Court questioned the tenant how he could encroach upon the road and nala, and found fault with the argument of the petitioner’s counsel. The High Court asked the land owner whether he had any objections to the government’s notices, to which he stated that he had none, prompting the court to permit HYDRAA to demolish the illegal structures, which was done on Friday.
After clearing the road leading to the park, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to develop the park as a breathing space for the residents of the locality.
HYDRAA authorities identified these illegal constructions as major obstacles to proper drainage which increases flood risks in Hyderabad during heavy rains and conducted demolition drive.
Cleared encroachments from cemetery land
On May 22, HYDRAA cleared encroachments from Muslim and Christian cemetery lands in Parvathapur, Peerzadiguda municipal corporation area of Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
While Muslim and Christian representatives are expressing happiness over the removal of the illegal structures, the people whose properties were demolished are distraught.
