Recent Demolitions in Hyderabad Spark Political Controversy
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HYDRA) has recently carried out a series of demolitions, which have stirred up political tensions in the state. The government claims that nearly 500 out of 920 identified lakes and tanks have been fully or partially encroached upon over the past 20 years. However, opposition parties, especially the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), have accused the government of targeting them specifically. The BRS alleges that HYDRA is being selective, focusing on demolishing supposedly illegal structures in areas like the buffer zone of Osman Sagar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also criticized the government’s actions, calling it a “high drama.” Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy pointed out that many of these structures were given permission during the previous Congress regime. He questioned how these buildings could be illegal if they were granted electricity, water connections, and even taxes were collected from them. Reddy argued that if these constructions are indeed illegal, the government should first take action against the officials who granted the permissions.
In response to the controversy, the state government has decided to release a white paper on the encroachment of nalas, ponds, and other water bodies, particularly in the Greater Hyderabad area. The government is in the process of gathering satellite images of each water body and the extent of their encroachments over the last 10 years. According to a source, the State Planning Development Society and TRAC, under the State Finance Department, have been regularly collecting satellite images to monitor the land occupied around these water bodies.
The government suspects that BRS leaders may have constructed buildings and colleges on occupied water bodies in Hyderabad and other districts. For instance, a farmhouse in Janwada, allegedly owned by a senior BRS leader, is already under scrutiny for possibly encroaching on the catchment area of a nearby water body.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka stated that the government is collecting satellite images from the Remote Sensing Agency and will take action based on the findings. Officials estimate that more than 50 percent of the catchment areas of most water bodies in Greater Hyderabad have been encroached upon. The white paper will also include details of illegal occupations of government lands, according to Revenue Minister P. Srinivas Reddy.
