The controversy surrounding the Bathukamma Kunta tank in Amberpet today took a fresh turn as Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner A V Ranganath issued a detailed clarification, asserting that official records firmly established the existence of the water body.
Referring to a petition filed by Edla Sudhakar Reddy in the Telangana High Court, the Commissioner said that the claim that no tank existed at the site was contradicted by Survey of India records, which confirmed a 10-acre tank at Bathukamma Kunta.
He emphasised that the authorities were acting strictly in line with the directions issued by the High Court's Division Bench, particularly concerning flood mitigation measures.
Ranganath questioned the legitimacy of ownership claims over tank land, and said that converting a water body into cultivable land did not grant legal title.
"A tank cannot become private property merely because it is filled and farmed," he said.
Addressing concerns about displaced residents, the Commissioner said that proposals had been submitted to the State government to rehabilitate economically weaker families living in the area by providing them free double-bedroom housing. He added that the government had responded positively to the initiative.
The clarification comes amid criticism and speculation following HYDRAA's earlier demolition drives targeting encroachments on water bodies across the city. Allegations had surfaced that enforcement actions were selectively impacting the poor while sparing influential individuals. Ranganath's statement sought to counter these claims, reiterating that the agency's actions were guided by the law and by court orders.
filed in:A V Ranganath, Encroachments, Demolitions, Rehabilitation, Water Bodies, HYDRA, Land Issues