HYDRAA under fire for ‘sparing’ builders while demolishing poor homes

HYDRAA’s demolition drive has drawn criticism for allegedly targeting poor families while ignoring large builder projects on the Musi riverbed. As floodwaters from Osman Sagar inundated nearby residential areas, visuals released by HYDRAA blamed encroachments for obstructing river flow.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) appears to be turning a blind eye to big constructions, claiming to protect water bodies, while going on a demolition spree on the habitations of the poor and weaker families branding them encroachers.

As Musi wreaked havoc on Friday night, after overflowing water from Osmansagar was released, and flooded the residential areas adjoining the Musi shores on either side, questions were raised as to how sprawling constructions by big builders are allowed on river beds.

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HYDRAA had released some visuals to buttress its argument that encroachments obstructed the flow of the river and allegations were that the authority would use this as a pretext to pull these ‘encroachments’.

HYDRAA under fire for targeting poor families near Musi river while turning a blind eye to big builder projects on riverbeds. Drone visuals raise tough questions for the agency. #HyderabadFloods #MusiRiver #HYDRAA #Encroachments pic.twitter.com/qaRhlAWdza

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However, no mention of the massive housing conglomerations by the big builders is made to show that a similar fate awaits them. Drone visuals of some big constructions on the river Musi bed at Narsingi were circulated on social media platforms with questions as to how they were spared when found to be obstructing the water flow.

The visuals, it is pointed out, shows that the construction got into the river and narrowed down the flow. However, such constructions clearly failed to catch the attention of agency.