HYDRAA, unleashed

A new agency is rapidly reclaiming Hyderabad's lakes and public land

- BY K. VIJAYA BHASKARA REDDY

On the morning of April 11, the official media WhatsApp group of HYDRAA, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency, was hyperactive. The group was flooded with copies of court orders, maps and real-time field updates from a land reclamation drive in Ailapur village on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Members were taken aback when they realised the updates were coming from commissioner A.V. Ranganath, who rarely uses this channel to communicate.

At first glance, it seemed like yet another land rescue operation. By noon, however, it was clear that something far more significant was unfolding. In a matter of hours, HYDRAA reclaimed 861 acres of government land, estimated to be worth ₹15,000 crore, from a lawyer, M.A. Mukheem, and his brother, M.A. Azeem. The two had allegedly occupied 1,263 acres and were parcelling it out to tribal communities. A farmhouse and a six-storey building owned by them were demolished during the operation. It was a single day's work, but it offered a glimpse into how HYDRAA functions.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy established HYDRAA in July 2024 with a clear mandate: to protect public land and lake ecosystems while building advanced disaster response capabilities. The agency has so far reclaimed more than 2,011 acres of lake and public land, estimated to be worth ₹80,000 crore. Its flood prevention initiatives have reduced flooding in parts of Hyderabad.

Ranganath said the shift in Telangana was driven directly by the chief minister. “The CM told me [in the first meeting itself] that lakes and nalas are the most neglected public spaces and the most encroached upon, and asked me to take care of them.” Reporting directly to the chief minister, Ranganath was given the autonomy to build an organisation capable of acting decisively.