HYDRA officials demolishing illegal constructions on the Full Tank Level area and buffer zone of Thammidikunta lake near Hitech City in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Top politicians, prominent businessmen, film stars and some of the most influential people in society were among those whose structures came under the JCBs of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Agency (HYDRA), which has reclaimed 43.94 acres of encroached land within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits in three months.
The names and the extent of land reclaimed were submitted to the government by the HYDRA Commissioner A. V. Ranganath in a detailed report. In the three months since its inception, HYDRA has demolished 18 properties within ORR limits, as per the report. The biggest chunk of 15.25 acres was reclaimed from former Union Minister Pallam Raju’s brother Pallam Anand (ORO Sports), Kaveri Seeds owner and Ex-TTD Member G.V. Bhasker Rao, Sunil Reddy (Contested MLA candidate of the BJP in Manthani constituency) and Anupama, wife of Srinivas, who is the owner of Pro Kabaddi after their structures were demolished in Gandipet lake in Khanapur and Chilkur.
Twelve acres were reclaimed from AIMIM MLA of Bahadurpura, Mohammed Mubeen, whose building of five floors was demolished apart from sheds and AIMIM MLC Mirza Rahmat Beig’s Ground plus two floors was also demolished in the Bhumruq Dowla lake in Rajendranagar.
Another big sufferer was film star Akkineni Nagarjuna, from whom 4.9 acres of land was reclaimed with 8 structures demolished including two huge sheds and six sheds. Another 3.5 acres were reclaimed from a local BRS leader Ratnakaram Sai Raju, whose illegally erected sheds on Chintal Lake in Gajularamaram were demolished. Park encroachment of 0.18 acres in Nandagiri Hills, Road No. 69, Jubilee Hills was also cleared and the report said that BRS MLA, who shifted to the Congress, Danam Nagender was supporting the encroachers.
The demolitions took place at several locations, including Banjara Hills, Lotus Pond, Mansoorabad, BJR Nagar, Gajularamaram, Chintal and Ameerpet. The first demolition was on June 27 when the enforcement team cleared the park encroachment in the Film Nagar Cooperative Society.
