HYDRAA Commissioner Orders Swift Action on Nallagandla and Thumkunta Encroachments After Inspection
Acting on a series of complaints received through the Prajavani grievance platform, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath on Wednesday undertook an extensive field inspection from morning till late evening.
HYDERABAD: Acting on a series of complaints received through the Prajavani grievance platform, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath on Wednesday undertook an extensive field inspection from morning till late evening. The Commissioner spent nearly ten hours touring several areas under the Thumkunta Municipality and Serilingampally mandal, personally assessing lake and nala encroachments and issuing on-the-spot instructions to municipal and irrigation officials.
Beginning his inspection at Devarayanchal village, Ranganath reviewed a dispute over a road obstruction in survey numbers 135 and 136, which had led to local inconvenience. Acting in accordance with High Court directives, he interacted with residents and ordered immediate road restoration. With a new court building and traffic police station coming up in the same stretch, he emphasized that the work must be completed without delay.
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The Commissioner also examined encroachments along the flood canal connecting Turkavani Kunta and Devarayanchal Cheruvu. Residents complained that illegal constructions had narrowed the canal, causing severe flooding in four nearby colonies. Referring to records from the village land registry, Survey of India, and NRSC maps, Ranganath instructed officials to identify the original width of the canal and remove all encroachments to restore its natural flow.
At Thumkunta village, he visited the Vasavi Suchir India layout, where parts of the nala had been constricted. The flood channel linking Devarayanchal, Pothaipally, and Gundlakunta lakes, originally nine meters wide, has reportedly been reduced to just two meters in certain sections. Locals presented videos showing waterlogging during recent rains, blaming the problem on pipelines laid where open drains should have been. Ranganath directed municipal authorities to take corrective measures.
Later, the Commissioner inspected the Nallagandla Pedda Cheruvu, where encroachments were found on both the inlet and outlet points of the lake. Locals alleged that the course of the flood channel had been altered and parts of the bund constructed during development by Aparna Constructions. Ranganath assured that all such issues would be reviewed in coordination with irrigation, HMDA, and municipal officials.
The Commissioner also surveyed encroachments at the Gopannapally small and large lakes. He announced plans to convene a joint meeting involving officials from multiple departments, representatives of construction firms, and local residents to arrive at a comprehensive solution. His assurance of action brought relief to the affected communities.
HYDRAA Additional Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar, Additional Director Varla Papayya, and several senior officers accompanied Commissioner Ranganath during the day-long inspection tour.
