HYDRAA completes two years, secures 3,315 acres worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore
HYDERABAD: Two years after its creation, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has become a key part of city administration. Agency records show it has 3,315 acres of land worth a whopping Rs 1,50,000 lakh crores and restored several water bodies. However, some displaced residents, civil society organizations, and political parties have criticized its enforcement practices.
HYDRAA was established by a government order from the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Department on 19 July 2024. Meanwhile, Telangana’s urban population is growing at 3.2% each year, faster than the national average. Most of this growth occurs in Hyderabad’s outskirts, driven by the IT, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, warehousing, aerospace, and renewable energy sectors.
The government identified a gap that is GHMC had some disaster management, but areas outside GHMC and within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) lacked such systems. As a result, the state created a single agency for the Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR). TCUR includes all of GHMC and urban parts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, and Sangareddy districts up to the ORR.
HYDRAA operates as a separate department under MA&UD, led by Commissioner A. V. Ranganath. Specifically, the agency focuses on three main areas which includes protecting government and public land, managing disasters, and supporting logistics. The Asset Protection Wing addresses encroachments on parks, lakes, roads, and footpaths. The Disaster Management Wing coordinates emergency response with agencies such as the NDRF, SDMA, IMD, and local utilities. The Logistics Support Wing manages staffing, procurement, IT, and training. A Governing Body chaired by the Chief Minister and a TCUR Disaster Management Sub-Committee chaired by the Principal Secretary of MA&UD oversee the agency’s operations.
In the past two years, HYDRAA has carried out large enforcement actions in several parts of Hyderabad, including Shamshabad and Mushki Cheruvu. For example, HYDRAA recently secured 650 acres of government land in Bahaduraguda village, Shamshabad Mandal. Official records show the land has been state-owned since 1954. Some reports indicate the land is intended for a proposed bullet train project. HYDRAA fenced off plots where farmhouses and crops existed without official authorization. Mandal revenue officials supervised the operation. Some observers described this as consistent with HYDRAA’s enforcement policy on encroachment.
In addition, HYDRAA works to protect Hyderabad’s water bodies, including tanks, streams, rivers, and lakes. The agency reports clearing obstructions from catchment areas and fencing off encroached lake beds. The Mushki Cheruvu Protection Committee publicly thanked HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath and his team during the agency’s second anniversary.
HYDRAA also acts against environmental violations and illegal structures. It works with task forces, revenue officials, and police to take action. Meanwhile, some groups have criticized HYDRAA’s enforcement actions. The main opposition party, BRS, has stated that the agency does not provide enough support for people who lose their homes during enforcement. Working president of BRS, K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) has stated that the Congress government used HYDRAA to demolish houses belonging to poor families instead of focusing on housing needs. As HYDRAA begins its third year, it must keep up its progress and build public trust. In just two years, HYDRAA has become both a widely recognised symbol of state action against powerful encroachers.
