A report by the Telangana government said 171 natural water tanks have been encroached in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region in the ten years since the state’s formation in 2014. In this period, 20 tanks that had remained untouched were completely encroached; 24 tanks that faced partial reclamation were fully encroached. Significant increase in encroachments were noted at 127 tanks, the report said. 

The report assumes significance in the wake of increasing public outrage against the state government regarding the demolition drive by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA). This study was released about a week after the Telangana High Court came down heavily on HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath and Ameenpur Tahsildar, telling them to stop trying to “please their political bosses”. 

On October 6, Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma approved an ordinance, empowering HYDRAA officials by introducing a new section (374-B) to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act. 

Incidentally, the period the report covers – 2014 to 2023 – overlaps with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) rule in Telangana until the Congress came to power in the state for the first time since its formation. 

What the report says

Of the 20 tanks that remained pristine but were later  fully encroached, Rangareddy district saw the highest loss of water bodies. The district lost 9.25 acres in Puppalaguda village within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area. The second highest loss was also in the same district – Budwel, which lost 6.39 acres. 

Detailed data is available from 57 tanks which were partially encroached upon. Tanks in Medchal−Malkajgiri district saw the largest loss – 11.58 acres out of 19.75 (58.71%). The second highest such loss was 9.48 acres out of 12.09 acres in Pedda Amberpet village of Rangareddy district (a loss of 78.37%). 

Close behind is Devaryamjal village, also in Medchal−Malkajgiri district, which lost 9.19 acres (41.17%) out of 22.24 acres. 

Out of the 24 tanks that went from partially to fully encroached, 19.59 acres were lost at Pupplagunda village, Rangareddy district. Again in Medchal−Malkajgiri 

district, Boduppal village lost 17.03 acres and Thumkunta village registered a loss of 10.14 acres. 

The report said the level of encroachment increased in 70 water tanks. In Doolapally village (Medchal−Malkajgiri district), out of 489.44 acres of the Fox Sagar lake, 92.34 acres were found encroached in 2024 compared to 82.46 acres in 2014. This is an increase of 2.04% in the last 10 years.

In the same district, in KPHB Colony, encroachment rose from 33.68 acres to 40.59 acres – an increase of 7.14%. The third highest increase in existing encroachment was also found in Hasmathpet village of Medchal−Malkajgiri district – from 31.91 acres to 33.78 acres. The sharpest increase in ten years, however, was noted at Miyapur village in Rangareddy district: 54.83% of a waterbody covering 8.67 acres was encroached here.