Demolition notice issued to Telangana CM’s kin over bungalow around Hyderabad lake

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA), which has been cracking down on illegal constructions on various encroached water bodies in and around the city, on Thursday issued a notice to Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s brother Anumula Tirupati Reddy asking him to demolish his bungalow in the full tank level (FTL) limits of Durgam Cheruvu, a popular lake in the upscale Madhapur area.
The notice, served by the tehsildar of Serilingampally block on the recommendations of HYDRAA, was pasted on the entrance of Tirupati Reddy’s residence at Amar Cooperative Society at Madhapur. The land on which the building was built is registered under the name of P Koteswara Rao.
According to the notice served under Section 23 (1) of the AP Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 (WALTA), a copy of which HT has seen, the government might notify water bodies like lakes, ponds and minor irrigation tanks along with nalas as heritage bodies and conservation areas, and shall take measures to evict and prevent encroachment.
“The designated officer shall have the power to prevent and remove encroachments into the demarcated area of the water body,” the notice said, asking Tirupati Reddy to remove the structure/encroachment within the partly buffer zone of Durgam Cheruvu within 30 days. If he fails to do so, action will be taken for the removal of said structure/ encroachment, the notice states.
Tirupati Reddy clarified in a statement that he had purchased the bungalow in 2015 and at the time of the purchase, he was not aware that the land was classified within the FTL of Durgam Cheruvu.
“If the government determines his building is on FTL land, he has no objection to any corrective action they may take as part of their broader initiative to address such encroachments,” the chief minister’s brother said.
Similar notices were served on 204 other residents of residential colonies abutting Durgam Cheruvu, including Kavuri Hills, Nectar’s Colony, Doctor’s Colony and Amar Society. Most of the buildings belong to high profile people, including politicians, filmstars and civil servants. They too were given 30-day demolition notices.
Durgam Cheruvu, often referred to as ‘Secret Lake’, is a well-known landmark in Madhapur and a popular hangout place for youngsters and families in the evenings. Over the years, encroachments have drastically reduced its area. Originally spread over an estimated 100 acres, recent measurements suggest that the lake now covers only 84 acres, an official of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation said.
Meanwhile, Telangana chief secretary Santhi Kumari held a high-level meeting with senior officials of HYDRAA, GHMC, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), revenue and irrigation departments at the state secretariat on Thursday afternoon to discuss legal issues arising from the demolitions.
She asked the officials to take all precautions while demolishing the illegal structures and strictly adhere to the norms, as suggested by the high court recently, so that the government would not land in any legal wrangle.