Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has intensified its crackdown on illegal structures, issuing notices to 240 property owners for alleged encroachments around Durgam Cheruvu Lake in Hitec City. Among those notified is A. Tirupathi Reddy, the brother of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who owns a house near the lake.
The notices were issued by the Rangareddy District Collector and Serilingampally Deputy Collector under Section 23(1) of the Water, Land, and Trees Act (WALTA). The recipients, including prominent residents of Nectars Colony, Doctors Colony, Kavuri Hills, and Amar Society, have been given 30 days to voluntarily demolish the encroaching structures. Failure to comply will result in enforced demolitions.
This development follows the Chief Minister’s recent vow to demolish illegal constructions, including those belonging to his family. In a bold statement, CM Revanth Reddy challenged BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao to prove any violations by his family’s properties, asserting that all illegal structures in Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones would be demolished without exception.
Durgam Cheruvu, once a 100-acre lake, has significantly shrunk due to construction activities since the mid-1990s. The ongoing enforcement by HYDRAA has already led to the reclamation of 43 acres of land by demolishing illegal structures, including high-profile properties like the N-Convention Centre of actor Nagarjuna and buildings owned by AIMIM MLA Mohammed Mubeen and MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig.
Authorities have also issued notices to two colleges owned by BRS MLA Marri Rajasekhar Reddy in Medchal Malkajgiri district, alleging illegal construction in the FTL and Buffer Zone of Chinna Damaracheruvu Lake. Additionally, a police case was registered last week against BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy for allegedly building Anurag University in a water body’s buffer zone.
The latest survey by officials in Janwada village, Rangareddy district, also raises allegations of encroachment by a farmhouse leased by BRS leader K. T. Rama Rao. The enforcement actions have caused significant concern among residents and businesses in the affected areas.
