Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has launched a major drive against illegal encroachments on Durgam Cheruvu lake in the city’s IT corridor.
On Tuesday, December 30, HYDRAA teams removed nearly five acres of encroachments on the Madhapur side, near Inorbit Mall, reclaiming land that had been illegally converted into a paid parking lot.
Authorities said that the encroachers had filled portions of the lake bed with soil and were using the area as a commercial parking space, allegedly collecting up to ₹50 lakh per month in rent.
Acting on a complaint highlighted in Prajavani, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath ordered a field inquiry, following which officials confirmed the illegal occupation on the Inorbit Mall side of the lake.
Action taken at the lake
HYDRAA staff cleared the encroached area, evacuated all vehicles parked there, and erected temporary fencing to secure the reclaimed land. Officials stated that the dumped soil would be removed in the coming days to restore the original lake boundary.
The drive specifically targeted encroachments within the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of Durgam Cheruvu, which are protected under lake conservation norms.
The agency emphasised that such actions are part of its mandate to protect public assets, including lakes, parks, roads, and open spaces, from illegal occupation.
Shrinking lake, growing encroachments
Once spread over about 160 acres, Durgam Cheruvu has now shrunk to around 116 acres due to decades of encroachments. Satellite images provided by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) show that the lake has been encroached on from three sides, with only the northern side remaining relatively free of illegal structures.
Records indicate that nearly 29 acres were already encroached upon by 1976, with further losses occurring after 1995.
In recent years, soil was dumped up to 10–15 metres deep into the lake, gradually extending the land and obstructing the planned walking track around the water body.
