Hyderabad, June 8 (IANS) Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has successfully reclaimed and protected public assets worth over Rs 1.10 lakh crore in less than two years.

With continued public support and determined action, HYDRAA is confident of moving towards the Rs 2 lakh crore protection milestone within the next year.

The agency said on Monday that it reclaimed and protected lakes, nalas, parks, government lands, and blue-green resources. These priceless public assets, once under threat from encroachments and land-grabbing activities, have been safeguarded for future generations, it said.

HYDRAA thanked responsible citizens, public-spirited individuals, media organisations, government departments, and every stakeholder committed to protecting public resources.

It said: “Thank you to all the right and public-spirited people, and the media for supporting this great project for reclaiming, protecting and restoring blue-green resources that would have been otherwise knocked away by the unscrupulous land mafia.”

The agency stated that its mission is to reclaim, protect, and restore. It added that together, Hyderabad’s lakes, waterways, parks, and government lands are being preserved, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for generations to come.

HYDRAA’s statement on its “landmark achievement” and “bigger milestone” comes amid a raging debate on the agency in the wake of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s recent comments.

He triggered a row with the remark that he took inspiration from Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler to create HYDRAA.

“HYDRAA is Hitler’s favourite word. His core team, called HYDRAA, can assassinate anyone. So, I have taken inspiration from Hitler and named it HYDRAA,” he said during a conversation with The Hindu Group Director N. Ram at an event in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The Congress government in the state established HYDRAA in 2024 to protect public assets, manage disasters, and reclaim encroached lands across Hyderabad.

It has so far reclaimed over 2,000 acres of government land by removing encroachments on open lands, lakes, nalas, and parks.

The agency headed by IPS officer A.V. Ranganath has come under sharp criticism from opposition parties for the demolitions carried out at various places. They accused HYDRAA of targeting the houses of the poor.

BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recently announced that once BRS returns to power, the first file it will sign will be to scrap HYDRAA.

–IANS

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