HYDRAA Recovers 34 Acres of Lake and Public Land from Illegal Occupation in Hyderabad

In a significant action against unauthorised occupation, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has recovered nearly 34 acres of lake and government land across multiple locations in Hyderabad. The recovered properties, now secured with fencing, are valued at approximately Rs 4,000 crore.

The enforcement operations targeted the Madhapur and Kokapet areas, where officials uncovered widespread encroachments on water bodies and public property.

Recovery in Madhapur

HYDRAA's efforts in the Madhapur region centred on Eidulakunta lake in Khanamet village, which falls under Serilingampally mandal. The agency reclaimed 6.05 acres of the lake itself, along with an adjoining 5.16 acres of government land that had been illegally occupied.

Residents had previously reported that encroachers had tampered with the lake's original boundaries and obstructed flood channels that feed into Thammidikunta and Sunnam Cheruvu. To verify these claims, HYDRAA coordinated with revenue, irrigation and municipal authorities to conduct thorough field investigations. Officials cross-referenced historical revenue records and satellite imagery provided by the National Remote Sensing Centre to confirm the lake's authentic boundaries.

Investigators discovered that encroachers had exploited administrative boundary disputes between Kukatpally and Serilingampally mandals to justify their occupation. A private construction firm had secured permissions in 2022 for a 14-storey building project by submitting survey numbers that did not accurately reflect the actual location. When officials inspected the site, they found active excavation work occurring within the lake boundaries.

Following these findings, HYDRAA secured the entire 11.21 acres comprising the lake and adjoining government land. The total value of this recovered property in Madhapur is estimated at Rs 1,800 crore.

Action at Kokapet

In Kokapet, located within Gandipet mandal, HYDRAA targeted Kotha Cheruvu, a water body with a Full Tank Level area spanning 72 acres. Real estate developers had constructed embankments within the lake and illegally occupied more than 20 acres in its upper reaches.

During the operation, authorities discovered fencing structures, temporary structures and recreational facilities that had been constructed within the lake area. An additional 1.09 acres of constructions near Gold Fish Villas, allegedly developed by a real estate company, were also removed.

After clearing all unauthorised structures, HYDRAA demarcated the proper lake boundaries and installed fencing to prevent future encroachment attempts. Officials have valued the reclaimed land at Kokapet at approximately Rs 2,200 crore.

The combined recovery efforts demonstrate HYDRAA's intensifying focus on protecting Hyderabad's water resources and public land from commercial exploitation.