Senior Congress leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy has called upon Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to extend the jurisdiction of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) beyond Hyderabad to include various districts across the State.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr. Reddy praised the establishment of HYDRAA and highlighted the need for its expanded role to tackle unauthorised constructions in Full Tank Level (FTL) areas and buffer zones of water bodies.
Mr. Reddy expressed concern over the increasing encroachment and construction activities within the FTL areas and buffer zones of reservoirs, ponds, and other water bodies within the Hyderabad city limits, particularly those within the Outer Ring Road (ORR). He noted that despite regulations, influential businessmen and investors have continued to build structures that violate environmental protection rules.
The Congress leader commended HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath for taking bold steps to remove illegal structures within HYDRAA‘s jurisdiction. However, he emphasised the necessity of expanding HYDRAA’s operations to districts where similar issues persist, particularly in cities and towns where unauthorised constructions in FTL areas and buffer zones are becoming increasingly common.
He urged the State government to consider extending HYDRAA’s jurisdiction to district levels, empowering District Collectors to identify and remove illegal structures within a specified timeframe.
Further, Mr. Reddy pointed to the ongoing issue of unauthorised constructions within the buffer zone of Hyderabad’s Hussainsagar and urged the CM to prioritise the removal of unauthorised structures and commercial outlets that fall under the Hussainsagar buffer zones. He reminded the Chief Minister that previous attempts to remove such structures had faced significant challenges and called for decisive action to prioritise the removal of these illegal structures.
