Latest news with #HyderabadDisasterResponse&AssetProtectionAgency
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Hyderabad lake rejuvenation: After years of drought and doubt, Bathukamma Kunta begins to fill up
Bathukamma Kunta, the area in Amberpet which has had a water body merely in the name for past two decades, now shows an actual 'Kunta', which in Telugu means pond. The Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), on Tuesday, shared pictures of the water body, with ongoing embankment works taken up by the agency. Sharing the aerial view of the pond, HYDRAA chief said the lake rejuvenation works are going in in full swing, and are expected to be completed by this September. Bathukamma Kunta is one of the six lakes taken up by HYDRAA for rejuvenation, the others being Bam Rukn-ud-Daula, Thammidikunta, Sunnam Cheruvu, and two Nalla Cheruvus, one in Uppal and another in Kukatpally. Works at Bathukamma Kunta started around February, when the excavators machinery deployed by HYDRAA yielded copious amounts of ground water. HYDRAA issued a statement that this was proof of a lake existing at the location, which was disputed by a plaintiff who approached the court. Towards the last week of April, the city civil court ruled in favour of HYDRAA, after which the works gathered pace. Constructed on all four sides and devoid of vegetation, the water body, despite all the efforts by the agency, looks more like an artificial pool of the sort created in a resort as of now. Closed in by a walking track and defined in its shape, the pond is filled with green, slimy water. When approached, clarified that it was ground water mixed with stormwater from surrounding localities, stagnated for two months. Arrival of stormwater is facilitated by the inlet drain constructed after diversion of sewage. Mr. Ranganath added that the outlet channel up to Musi river is still a work in progress. It will be a challenging task, he said, as the drain has to find its way through heavily constructed localities. Once the task is completed, the pond will have fresh water. According to the maps displayed on the website of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Bathukamma Kunta was first surveyed in 2013, when its full tank level (FTL) perimeter was determined as about 1.4 kilometres. No water spread was mentioned, nor the FTL in acres, but the area surveyed by the consultant was over 14 acres. Historical satellite images since 2010 show that the lake had never had water, with all inlets and outlets closed on all sides. It remained dry even during the 2020 floods when several lakes overflowed in the city. The survey of India maps, however, vouch for the existence of a water body there. The FTL area got heavily encroached even after the survey, with multiple structures cropping up within, as visible from the satellite images. The Lake Protection Committee, which was constituted under HMDA in 2010, did precious little on this front, with final notification of the lake still pending. The water body developed by HYDRAA occupies only a portion of the original lake.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- The Hindu
HYDRAA removes borewells and ‘encroachments' from Sunnam Cheruvu
The Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Monday took action against the alleged encroachers of Sunnam Cheruvu, Guttala Begumpet, by removing many borewells which were being used to extract water to be supplied to hostels in Madhapur. The HYDRAA authorities also seized the tankers used to supply the water. Besides, they removed temporary structures in the full tank level which were used to run tanker business. Earlier, HYDRAA shared the water analysis reports of the Telangana Pollution Control Board, which revealed high amounts of heavy metals in water. A press note on Monday informed that a complaint had been lodged against the tanker supplier at the Madhapur Police Station. Issuing clarification to the claims of 'plot owners' in the FTL as determined by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, HYDRAA said a layout by the then HUDA was cancelled later. Permissions are not being granted for the past 10 years to take up any structures there. The plot owners may apply for compensation or transferable development rights, it said. Sunnam Cheruvu is among the six lakes taken up for development by the HYDRAA. As part of the initiative, plastic waste and garbage accumulated for decades has been removed from the lake, and sewage diversion channels have been created. A children's park and open gym are part of the project, the note said. The 'Prajavani' grievance redressal programme of HYDRAA has received a total 49 complaints on Monday, which covered issues pertaining to encroachment of stormwater drains at Fatehnagar and Balanagar, encroachment of park spaces in Turkayamjal municipality.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
HYDRAA chief charts monsoon plan with traffic police
The traffic police have identified a total of 349 locations in the purview of Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police commissionerates which are chronic inundation points in the event of rains. The fact was shared at a coordination meeting between the higher officials of the traffic police and the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Tuesday. Joint Commissioners of Police Gajarao Bhupal, Joel Davis, and Additional Director of HYDRAA V. Paparao too attended the meeting addressed by HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath. Officials explained that continuous rain for two hours is resulting in water rise of one meter in the city lakes - and to drain out the excess water, it is taking a week's time. Mr. Ranganath said there is a need to study the water levels of all the lakes, and as of now, the efforts are to find permanent solutions at 50 major inundation points. He urged the officials of all departments concerned in the inundation prone areas to be on high alert at the time of heavy rains. As a long-term measure, the linkage between lakes in the areas, and the status of the stormwater drains should be studied. Action will be taken towards restoration of narrowed and blocked stormwater drains, if information is given in advance, Mr. Ranganath said, and added that the drains near Patny, Chikoti Gardens and Chintal Basti are being widened. He reminded the Supreme Court's directions towards immediate removal of obstructions to lakes and drains. Monsoon emergency teams, for which tenders were floated by HYDRAA, after being cancelled by GHMC, will be ready within three days, he informed. A total 150 teams together with 51 dedicated HYDRAA's disaster response teams, will work together with circle level GHMC teams to drain water off the roads at inundation points in the event of rains. Proper coordination with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board, Traffic, Irrigation and Electricity departments, will resolve the flooding issue to a major extent, he said. He issued directions for formation of social media groups for coordination, and vehicles to be organised to remove the broken down vehicles from the flood water, a press release informed. In a separate communication, HYDRAA urged people to share information about encroachment of lakes and drains on WhatsApp at 8712406899, attaching photographs of the encroachments along with the locations. The information may be shared on social media platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook, tagging the account of HYDRAA Commissioner, or sent directly to Mr. Ranganath on 7207923085.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Mini parks, walking track, and seating facilities to be developed around 58-acre Cherlapally lake in Medchal
The Cherlapally Tank in Kapra mandal of Medchal Malkajgiri district may soon be developed as a tourist and holiday destination with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency's (HYDRAA) Commissioner, visited the lake on Thursday (June 19, 2025) after receiving an invitation from the Director General of Prisons Soumya Mishra. Both the officials discussed the possibility of modernising and beautifying the lake, spread over 58 acres. They inspected the inlet and outlet of the lake, and discussed works such as completion of fencing around the lake, strengthening of the bund and developing a pathway. For safety, solar lighting and CCTV cameras may be provided, they said, and explored the ways to ensure channelling of fresh water into the lake. Water body receives surplus water from chain linked lakes Mr. Ranganath instructed the Irrigation engineers at HYDRAA to prepare a detailed project report with regard to the works. The water body receives surplus water from the chain linked lakes of Nagireddy Kunta, Kapra Lake, Mothukula Kunta and Bison Kunta, a statement from HYDRAA informed. It also has a sewage diversion channel. A walking track of three kilometres will be developed around the lake, along with mini parks, trees, and seating facilities. Ms. Mishra informed Mr. Ranganath that representatives of industries in Cherlapally industrial area are ready to fund the development of the lake, and requested a comprehensive report with segment wise expenditure components. Local Revenue, Irrigation and GHMC officials too joined the tour of the lake located in close proximity to the Cherlapally Jail.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Eat and sleep near Musi, Chief Minister challenges the Opposition
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy compared the Musi river development with the development of Sabarmati, Ganga and Yamuna rivers, and sought to know why the BJP is opposing the project. 'If Modi does it, it's acceptable, but when we attempt, is it to be criticised?' he questioned during his address after inauguration of Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) police station on Thursday. Mr. Reddy said an 'Aatmeeya Sammelanam' will be organised with the people living on the FTL and buffer zones of Musi river, with participation of Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, and others, in order to explain the plans of the government. The poor people displaced from their homes will be shown alternative plots, he assured. 'If need be, we will identify government lands closer to the locality and build cluster housing to accommodate them,' he vowed, while lambasting the opposition for calling the government anti-poor. He challenged them to eat and sleep near the Musi river to show that the place is liveable. 'Jubilee Hills, Banjara HIlls, and farm houses at Janwada and Erravelli are where you stay, but expect the poor to stay near Musi river,' he said, accusing the opposition of being full of poison. Invoking the status of the other metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, which have been rendered unliveable due to pollution and floods, he said Hyderabad too would be added to them if proper measures are not taken to prevent the destruction of nature. The same people who said HYDRAA caused real estate slump are now opposing the development of 400 acre land parcel as IT park, citing biodiversity. Their only aim is to hinder progress, he said. 'I brought ₹2.28 lakh crore investments from Davos. Aren't we obligated to show the investors land? Many people are set to benefit from the investments, directly and indirectly,' he said. Only people who are encroaching the lakes have a complaint against HYDRAA, and not the people who are facing inundation of homes, and those spending hours on roads due to traffic jams. Condemning HYDRAA's portrayal as an agency that demolishes poor people's homes, Mr. Reddy said the agency is serving 1.2 crore population living within the Outer Ring Road, where lakes and drains have been severely encroached and erased. Recalling the ₹10,000 each distributed to people who suffered flooding in 2020, he questioned if the amount compensated the losses endured by them. Mr. Reddy advised HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath to assume humanitarian approach towards poor people, and stringency towards the rich violators. 'This is a huge responsibility. Casual approach will not help. Please adopt humane approach. Please bring proposals for rehabilitation of the poor,' he said. The Chief Minister also launched the website of HYDRAA, and flagged off the new fleet of vehicles procured by the agency. The HYDRAA police station is accommodated in three floors and 10,000 square feet. Six inspectors are deployed to the station, besides a station house officer, and several sub-inspectors and constables, Mr. Ranganath said.
