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Telangana Guv approves Ordinance empowering HYDRAA

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Telangana Governor approves HYDRAA

Hyderabad: Governor of Telangana Jishnu Dev Varma has approved an ordinance which seeks to empower Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), sources said. Neither Raj Bhavan nor the State government has officially confirmed this development yet.

Earlier, Revanth Reddy Cabinet had amended the rules to provide legal sanctity and enhanced the powers of the government entity which was created for clearing encroachments around the water bodies and to protect lakes, reservoirs and nalas within Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits.

The Telangana government will likely notify the approval of ordinance in the state gazette soon. As per sources, the State Cabinet has inserted clause 34-B in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act which gives extra powers to the enforcement agency HYDRAA to carry out its mandate.

Recently, questions were raised regarding the powers given to HYDRAA to carry out demolitions. Notably, the agency and its officials have been clearing the structures allegedly built in the full tank level (FTL) areas and buffer zones of water bodies.

Previously, Telangana High Court reprimanded AV. Ranganath, Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), and the Ameenpur Tahsildar during a virtual hearing on September 30. The court questioned Ranganath about recent demolitions carried out on a Sunday in Ameenpur, violating prior court orders prohibiting such actions on that day.

The High Court expressed frustration, stating, “There’s time to demolish, but don’t you have time to read the court order? If everyone is sent to Chanchalguda and Cherlapally, they will listen. All that you have done is wrong. Why are you doing it again? If you are over-enthusiastic for political bosses, you are the one who will lose.”

The court also suggested that GO 99, which facilitated the establishment of HYDRAA, might be scrapped due to the agency’s unsatisfactory performance. The court challenged Ranganath on the legality of HYDRAA’s actions, reiterating the prohibition on demolitions during weekends and questioning whether he was aware of the court’s previous ruling. The court asked the Ameenpur Tahsildar, “All that you have done is wrong. Why are you arguing?”