Hyderabad: BJLP leader and Nirmal MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy has challenged the State government and HYDRA to take action against illegal encroachments on ponds in the Old City.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Reddy questioned the sincerity of the ongoing demolition drive by HYDRA. He expressed concerns that the drive might just be a tactic to divert attention from unfulfilled electoral promises.
“If the State government is truly committed, it should start its demolition efforts in the Old City, instead of targeting common people,” Reddy stated.
He mentioned that HYDRA had recently claimed to have recovered 49 acres of encroached land within a week. However, he pointed out that lakhs of acres of land have been encroached across the state. He asked if the government is ready to recover all those lands.
Reddy raised doubts about the HYDRA demolition drive, questioning why officials are not targeting Owaisi’s alleged encroachments on Salkam Chervu. He asked if the HYDRA commissioner is unaware of the illegal buildings or if there’s another reason for the inaction. Reddy even offered to provide information and bring necessary equipment from neighboring states if required.
The Nirmal MLA also highlighted that ponds like Gurram and Jal Palli in the Old City have been encroached upon. He blamed successive governments for turning a blind eye to illegal constructions over the past 20 years. He urged the HYDRA and the State government to have the courage to start freeing these encroachments.
Reddy further questioned the Full Tank Level (FTL) of Gandipet, noting discrepancies in the Water Board’s maps which show it as 1,772 feet on one map and 1,790 feet on another. He demanded that the state government take action against illegal constructions from the past 20 years and the officials who permitted them. He called for the release of a white paper on the alienated lands of the FTL and buffer zones.
According to Reddy, 185 out of 300 ponds in the GHMC area have been encroached upon. An irrigation officials’ report found 8,718 illegal constructions within the FTL and 5,343 within the buffer zone. He questioned if the State government is prepared to demolish all 13,000 illegal constructions.
Additionally, Reddy pointed out that 14 lakh acres of assigned land, 6 lakh acres of forest, and Endowment lands in the state have been alienated. He asked if the government is ready to reclaim these encroached lands.
Reddy also mentioned that several ponds, including those in Kookat Palli, Maisamma Pond, Melaram Pond in Bahadur Pura, Jedimetla Pond, Nacharam Pond, Saroor Nagar Pond, and a small pond in Ramantapur have been encroached upon. He stated that acres of land worth thousands of crores have been alienated.
The BJP leader criticized MIM MLA Akbaruddin’s comments, calling them shameful. He suggested that if Akbaruddin truly represented the people, he should have voluntarily demolished illegally constructed buildings. Reddy also questioned whether the State government would demolish buildings of educational institutions reportedly constructed by occupying ponds in the Old City. He suggested that Akbaruddin could take Wakf Board lands on lease for his college buildings instead.
