Hyderabad: HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency) officials, working with the Cantonment Board, have launched a major crackdown on illegal structures that have sprung up along stormwater drains in Begumpet’s Patny area. The move follows a surge of complaints from residents about flooding and waterlogging, thanks to narrowed and choked drains.
On Thursday, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath and Cantonment CEO Madhukar Naik toured the area, stopping at key trouble spots to get a firsthand look at the problem. The worst bottlenecks were near Hasmathpet and Picket, where a drain that once measured 17 meters across has been squeezed to just six in some places—leaving neighborhoods like Mahendra Hills, Picket, JBS, Balamrai and Viman Nagar on edge whenever it rains.
Locals—some armed with old photos—pointed out how much the drains had shrunk over the years, blaming unchecked encroachments for turning their streets into flood zones. Residents said they’d raised the issue with Cantonment officials before and had renewed their complaints to HYDRAA earlier this week. On Thursday, teams from GHMC, the Irrigation Department and the SNDP project joined the inspections.
The story was the same at Chickoti Gardens. There, locals recalled a drain that had shrunk from six meters wide to less than 4.5—just enough to turn a downpour into a mini-disaster. Near the Prakash Nagar Metro Station—a known hotspot for monsoon chaos—residents said some had even diverted the drain to suit their own plans, making things worse. Apartment dwellers pulled out their phones, showing officials photos and videos of flooded homes, begging them to act.
After consulting with his team and Cantonment Board officials, Ranganath promised immediate action. He said survey data from the Survey of India, satellite images from NRSC, and committee reports would be reviewed to plan the next steps.
Later, HYDRAA teams moved in to demolish unauthorised structures that had choked off key stretches of the drains. It’s a big step toward getting the city’s battered drainage system back on track—and a bit of long-overdue relief for residents who’ve been living with water woes for far too long.
నాలాల కబ్జాలను పరిశీలించిన హైడ్రా కమిషనర్.
ప్యాట్నీ, రసూల్పుర, చికోటి గార్డెన్స్ ప్రాంతాల్లో పర్యటన🔶నాలాల కబ్జాలపై హైడ్రా దృష్టి పెట్టింది. సోమవారం ప్రజావాణిలో నాలాల కబ్జాలపై ఫిర్యాదులను అందుకున్న హైడ్రా గురువారం క్షేత్రస్థాయిలో పరిశీలించింది. జీహెచ్ ఎంసీ, ఇరిగేష… pic.twitter.com/oc2k1vHHRj
— HYDRAA (@Comm_HYDRAA) June 5, 2025
