The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) carried out a major anti-encroachment drive at Durgam Cheruvu, reclaiming around five acres of illegally occupied lake land near Inorbit Mall in Madhapur on Tuesday.

The cleared area had reportedly been filled with soil and unlawfully used as a parking facility for school buses and vehicles belonging to IT companies. Officials said the encroachers were allegedly earning up to ₹50 lakh per month through parking rentals. During the operation, HYDRAA teams vacated the parked vehicles, erected fencing along the lake boundary and began the process of removing the dumped soil.

The action followed a complaint received through the Prajavani grievance redressal platform. Acting swiftly, HYDRAA Commissioner A V Ranganath ordered an immediate field inspection by officials from the concerned departments.After the land records were validated and the ground conditions evaluated, the authorities ascertained the encroachments and consequently started to clear the land.

Durgam Cheruvu, which covered almost 160 acres in the beginning, has had its area reduced to approximately 116 acres during the time due to the gradual taking over of land and illegal dumping. Officials noted that soil filling to depths of 10 to 15 metres had gradually reduced the lake’s footprint, even obstructing the proposed walking track around the water body.

The side of the lake that is located in the north is still pretty much pristine, but the other three sides have suffered a lot due to the encroachment. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) satellite picture shows that there has been a consistent land grab for decades—around 29 acres by 1976, 10 more acres between 1995 and 2000, and almost 5 acres from 2000 onward.

HYDRAA personnel mentioned that the actions to protect the lake assets and curb future encroachments would go on.