HYDRAA secures hills near Ammuguda, reclaims 840 acres of government land across town

The land acquired 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 hills near Ammuguda and started fencing the area occupied by a reputed builder on Saturday (July 18, 2026).

The action follows a news story in The Hindu in late May that reported on the penetration of earth and the destruction of rock formations that were billions of years old. Locals have also reportedly approached HYDRAA through the Prajavani program against stone blasting.

The rock salvage company first discovered the destruction of the rocks and stuck to their guns, investigating the matter with HYDRAA in the face of heavy pressure and a legal notice from the resident.

The builder in question was armed with a High Court order confirming the private ownership of land in two registration numbers under the Lothukunta village boundary. However, after a ground-level inspection and investigation with the help of the Revenue Department and satellite maps, HYDRAA officials concluded that the survey numbers given were not from the land on which the rocks were leveled.

“The builder has shown survey numbers 1 and 2 in Lothukunta village, whose revenue boundary is three kilometers away. He got the building permit in 2008, which has now expired. We consulted the Revenue Department and Cantonment Board to get maps with geo-coordinates and determine the status of the land as GLR (General Land Register),” itHYDRA identifies the land as 243, DefotA Head Ranganath said, claiming that even Lothukunta village it does not fall under survey numbers 1 and 2, which proved that the documents were manufactured.

Further, Mr. Ranganath said the builder was indulging in rock blasting without required permissions from the mining department, which was disturbing the wildlife on the hills. Along with this land, HYDRAA has also identified and cleared other government lands that have been encroached upon by private lands, freeing up a total of 106 acres in Ammuguda.

On Saturday alone, the agency secured a total of 840 acres of government land — 84 acres in Raidurgam and 650 acres in Bahadurguda village of Shamshabad mandal in Ranga Reddy district.

While a neighboring owner was trying to occupy about an acre of government land in Bahadurguda village, the land was being used for cultivation and construction of farmhouses, HYDRAA informed.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 12:56 IST