The Hyderabad Disaster Response Assets Protection Agency (HYDRA) is set to take charge of managing all government lands and lakes within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits. This move is part of a larger effort by the State government to map and protect state-owned properties, particularly vacant lands and water bodies, from illegal encroachments.
As part of HYDRA’s disaster management plan, various departments including Irrigation, Revenue, Municipal Administration, GHMC, HMDA, police, and the water board have been involved in a survey. This survey looks at potential risks such as floods, water logging, fire hazards, and traffic challenges in different colonies.
Officials explained that the mapping of lakes and government lands would help HYDRA assess the current state of these properties. Based on this information, HYDRA will create an action plan to protect the resources, especially focusing on water bodies and valuable lands. The protection of the Telangana Core Urban Region within the ORR limits is a top priority. HYDRA will act as the caretaker of all government-owned lands and lakes in this area, and a specialized agency will be hired to carry out the mapping.
In addition to protecting state properties, HYDRA has been given full authority to act against illegal occupiers of water bodies. This includes demolishing unauthorized structures built in the buffer zones and Full Tank Levels (FTL) of lakes. Once a fresh report on the status of lakes and lands is completed, HYDRA will launch a massive drive to remove illegal constructions. District authorities from Hyderabad, Medchal, Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, and Sangareddy have been instructed to submit their reports quickly so that HYDRA can take action within the ORR limits.
