Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner AV Ranganath stated that many civic issues could be addressed once the Full Tank Level (FTL) of the city’s lakes is accurately determined.
He instructed concerned officials to expedite the process and emphasised the importance of incorporating public objections during FTL assessment, which is being done using data from various departments and technological tools.
During the Prajavani public hearing held at his office, Ranganath received a total of 57 complaints, most of which pertained to encroachments on Hyderabad lakes and other water bodies. Other complaints involved roadblocks between colonies, unauthorized development ignoring previous layout demarcations, and the sale and conversion of land earmarked for public purposes.
Column in ‘Lake Enumeration’ app for Hyderabad residents to file complaint
After reviewing the complaints, Ranganath proposed that a special column be added to the ‘Lake Enumeration’ app, including currently under development for FTL determination to allow the public to raise objections.
He highlighted the urgency of swiftly assessing FTL levels of lakes in Hyderabad, citing ongoing issues such as the continuous inflow of sewage into ponds and soil being filled from one side, both of which are altering the natural tank levels.
The FTL is being determined using inputs from village and revenue records, HMDA, GHMC, the irrigation department, the survey of India, and satellite imagery from NRSC. The HYDRAA commissioner also directed officials to constitute a special expert committee and keep complainants informed about the proactive steps being taken to prevent misinformation or confusion.
Encroachments on parks, lakes, drain buffers, and graveyard land
One complaint highlighted that park land in Survey No. 161 of Mettukaniguda, Gajularamaram village in Quthbullapur Mandal of Medchal–Malkajgiri district, along with an adjacent government building, had been encroached upon. Residents of Kapra raised concerns that fencing marking the FTL of Hyderabad’s Kapra Lake had been demolished by encroachers.
Mallampeta residents reported that the high-rise PVR Meadows in Dundigal Municipality, Malkajgiri district, had blocked access to neighboring colonies by constructing boundary walls. Another complaint pointed to a real estate company encroaching on the buffer zone of a stormwater drain leading to Thimmakka Cheruvu in Patancheru.
HYDRAA begins work to restore 6 lakes across Hyderabad
Additionally, a complaint from Parvatipuri village in Peerzadiguda Municipality, Uppal, alleged that three acres of graveyard land were being illegally plotted and sold as private property.
The HYDRAA commissioner stated that many civic issues could be addressed once the Full Tank Level (FTL) of the Hyderabad’s lakes is determined.
