An investigation by the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has confirmed the alleged encroachment of the Musi river and its associated stream by a property developer in Manchirevula village of Gandipet mandal in Ranga Reddy district.
HYDRAA surveyed the project through physical inspection and on the basis of satellite data and topographical sheets before concluding the encroachment by Sri Aditya Kedia Realtors LLP, for the project consisting of four residential blocks of 38 floors each.
Satellite data from the National Earth Remote Sensing Center’s Digital Elevation Model (DEM) confirmed that the project encroached 2.34 acres of river flow, which also took up a 3.03-acre buffer zone, by building structures on it.
The DEM data also revealed that the construction encroached on 0.37 acres of a stream connecting the river course with a width of 23 meters at the confluence and an average width of 16 meters. Construction continued into the 0.48-acre creek buffer zone. The stream carried flood water upstream from Muski Cheruvu and Nagireddy Kunta. The builder did not construct the storm water drain as per the instructions in the no objection certificate issued by the irrigation department, a HYDRAA investigation revealed.
Survey officials with HYDRAA also confirmed the breach by filling the river course and buffer zone, while Survey of India topsheets showed inundation of the river to the extent of 1.77 acres and the buffer zone to the extent of 2.58 acres. The builder claimed that 3.03 acres was his patta land which fell within the buffer zone of the river, but as per the DEM data, SoI topographic sheets and HYDRAA survey map, the area is in the river bed and the area where the buildings are being constructed turned out to be a buffer zone, revealed the HYDRAA probe.
Earlier, the planning officer of HMDA filed a complaint with the police against the construction of a wall in the Musi river bed and the removal of maximum flood level stones by the builder.
HYDRAA noticed that the status of land in cadastre No. 476, where the project is being prepared, is ambiguous and there were parcels with no clear title.
After presenting all the evidence and with reference to the inundation of the project during the recent river floods, HYDRAA chief AV Ranganath wrote to the Tahsildar of Gandipet to re-survey the land in the presence of the HYDRAA survey team to demarcate the boundaries using geographical coordinates. The tehsildar was asked to issue a notice to the affected persons and submit a comprehensive report on the condition of the land and the encroachment within two weeks.
Published – 22 Oct 2025 23:41 IST
