The land reclaimed by HYDRAA in Ammuguda on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT
Residents of Gandhi Nagar Basti burst crackers and came out to celebrate as the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) secured the hillocks near Ammuguda and started fencing off the area on Saturday (July 18, 2026), which was under occupation by a renowned builder.This action follows a news story by The Hindu towards the end of May, which reported encroachment of the land and destruction of rock formations which were billions of years old. Local residents too reportedly approached HYDRAA through Prajavani programme against rock blasting.Society to Save Rocks first exposed the destruction of rocks and stuck by its guns and pursued the matter with HYDRAA in the face of severe pressure and legal notices served by the occupant.The builder in question was armed with an order from the High Court which confirmed private ownership of land in two survey numbers under the limits of Lothukunta village. However, after field level inspection and an inquiry aided by the Revenue Department and satellite maps, HYDRAA officials arrived at the conclusion that the survey numbers shown were not of the land on which rocks had been razed.“The builder showed survey numbers 1 & 2 in Lothukunta village, the Revenue boundaries of which are three kilometres away. He obtained building permission in 2008, which has lapsed now. We consulted Revenue Department and Cantonment Board to procure maps with geo coordinates, and determined the land’s status as GLR (General Land Register) 243 which identifies it as government land allotted to Defence,” HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath said, contending that even Lothukunta village does not come under survey numbers 1 & 2, which proved that the documents had been manufactured.Further, Mr. Ranganath said that the builder indulged in rock blasting without required permissions from the Mining Department, which disturbed the wildlife on the hillocks. Along with this land, HYDRAA also identified and cleared other government land parcels which have been encroached by private layouts, freeing a total of 106 acres at Ammuguda.The agency secured a total of 840 acres of government land on Saturday alone — 84 acres in Raidurgam and 650 acres in Bahadurguda village of Shamshabad mandal in Ranga Reddy district.While attempts were made by the neighbouring owner to occupy about an acre of government land at Bahadurguda village, the land was being used for cultivation and construction of farm houses, HYDRAA informed. Published - July 18, 2026 12:56 pm IST
