In a major crackdown on illegal constructions, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Authority (HYDRAA) launched a large-scale demolition drive at Gajularamaram on Saturday, September 20. The task force uncovered that over 100 acres of government land—valued at nearly ₹4,500 crore—had been encroached upon by land grabbers. Encroachers had plotted the land into small 60–70 square yard portions and were selling them for as much as ₹10 lakh each. Following repeated complaints, HYDRAA intervened and demolished unauthorized houses built in Survey No. 397, exposing the magnitude of the illegal activity.
The drive, however, triggered protests from local residents who argued that they had purchased the properties after paying money to middlemen. They demanded that the real estate dealers and land sellers be punished instead of penalizing the buyers who had invested their savings. According to HYDRAA officials, the reclaimed land includes parcels originally allotted to the State Finance Corporation, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), and the Housing Board. Since these agencies had not developed the plots for decades, the land gradually fell into the hands of grabbers over the last three to four years.
Authorities confirmed that Gajularamaram has nearly 300 acres of government land, of which one-third was encroached in recent years due to its proximity—just 10 kilometers away—from Hyderabad’s IT corridor. With the land now valued at over ₹15,000 crore, HYDRAA announced plans to secure the reclaimed area by fencing it to prevent future encroachments. Officials stated that the demolition drive marks only the beginning of a larger effort to protect government-owned property across Hyderabad, as unchecked illegal construction continues to threaten urban planning and public land resources in the city.
