Hyderabad: The State government has given more authority to the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA) for managing public assets and disaster response in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area. This decision was announced on Wednesday after the government issued orders giving HYDRA these new powers.
The government explained that GHMC is one of the largest urban areas in India, covering around 650 square kilometers. Due to its size, it has many public assets such as parks, playgrounds, and lakes spread across its area. As the city continues to grow, these public spaces are at risk of being taken over or encroached upon.
These public assets are very important for the city. They provide green spaces that help with recreation, community activities, and also help fight the effects of climate change. Because of their importance, the government believes that these assets should be protected carefully, and this can only be done by a specialized agency like HYDRA.
The government said that HYDRA is the right agency to handle both disaster management and asset protection in GHMC. By protecting these assets, HYDRA can also help with disaster management efforts in the city.
A notification was issued on Wednesday, which stated that under Section 374B of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, the HYDRA Commissioner now has the power to protect public assets. These include roads, drains, public streets, water bodies, open spaces, and public parks owned by GHMC or the State government. HYDRA will work to prevent any illegal encroachments on these assets to ensure their protection for public use and disaster management.
