The Yerrakunta lake in Balapur mandal, Hyderabad, is almost disappearing due to illegal land grabbing. Land sharks are taking over acres of land around the lake and selling them as plots. This has led to a lot of construction in the area, causing the water body to nearly vanish.
The lake, which was originally spread over 20 acres, is now reduced to just the name “Yerrakunta” (which means red lake). Locals say that there have been several criminal cases registered against these illegal encroachments over the years. However, the actions taken by officials have been minimal, with only a few demolitions carried out. These limited efforts have not been enough to stop the ongoing illegal activities.
Unauthorized construction on the lake’s Full Tank Level (FTL) land continues, and new encroachments are happening quickly. Some people are even using fake documents to grab more land around the lake. Hassan Bin Ahmed Shaker, a resident of Barkas, has been raising this issue with various government departments, including the Irrigation and Revenue departments, and has even taken the matter to court.
Recently, some of the illegal properties were demolished by authorities following court orders. The High Court has also asked the authorities to submit a report on the actions they have taken in the upcoming hearing related to the lake.
In 2022, the Assistant Executive Engineer of the Irrigation & Command Area Development (I & CAD) department directed the Tahsildar of Balapur Mandal to take action against illegal constructions in specific survey numbers of Balapur village. Hassan has continued to urge authorities to keep a close watch and take strict measures against the ongoing illegal activities in the area.
