A view of the Khajaguda lake also known as Pedda Cheruvu.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner A.V. Ranganath issuing a clarification on the demolition of encroachments in Bhagirathamma Cheruvu and Thoutoni Kunta, said a meeting was held with all the owners of commercial establishments, real estate developers and title holders on the lake’s full tank level and buffer zone on December 28, 2024 – where they were shown the lake’s boundaries and encroachments on satellite images.

The meeting was video recorded and attendance too was taken, the clarification mentioned, issued after the demolition was challenged in the High Court on the same day, December 31.

It further said that one corporate real estate developer Acecorp Group had taken seven acres of the land for development from shikham pattedars Mekala Anjaiah and others, who also attended the meeting along with the title holders. The statement issued by Mr. Ranganath claimed that it was Acecorp which moved a lunch motion in the Telangana High Court in the name of the title holders.

Earlier in November, the shikham pattedars, in connivance with one Sandhya Constructions, tried to dump construction debris in Bhagirathamma lake, also known as Khajaguda lake, in order to fill it up.

The HYDRAA teams seized the tippers deployed for this purpose, and a criminal case was booked at Raidurgam police station against Sandhya Constructions and its owner Sandhya Sridhar Rao.

Title holders in the lakes’ FTL and buffer zones entering into agreements with commercial establishments and realtors is the root cause behind the encroachment of lakes in all instances, Mr. Ranganath pointed out.

The HYDRAA had forewarned encroachers, and asked them to vacate the premises, after which it issued vacation notices on December 30, leading to demolitions the next day, he said.

Mr. Ranganath justified the demolitions, citing Section 405 of the GHMC Act, which says no notice is required to be issued if the structures come up in water bodies, and the Supreme Court’s judgment which excluded unauthorised constructions on rivers or water bodies, among others, from the pre-condition of issue of notices.

Clarifying about a wine shop which was not demolished despite being an encroachment, Mr. Ranganath said it was a government licenced premises, and hence, a request was made to the Excise Department to arrange for shifting of the same to another area. The seating area, and paan shop attached to the wine shop were all demolished, he pointed out, answering to the questions raised on social media.