For whatever reason, HYDRAA has been the focal point of almost every major political discussion in Telangana over the last few weeks. As it was bound to happen sooner or later, HYDRAA came under legal scrutiny after a case was filed at the Telangana High Court regarding the jurisdiction of the agency.
The HC called on HYDRAA boss AV Ranganath to explain the methods and derivates that are going into the demolition processes taken up by the agency.
“Who gives the orders for HYDRAA and which property to demolish and when to demolish? There are cases where the agency served mandatory 48-hour demolition notice and carried on with the demolition in 40 hours. What is the reason behind the discrepancies?” the court asked the HYDRAA chief.
The honorable court then made a witty comment on the operations of HYDRAA. “If someone orders you(HYDRAA) to demolish Charminar, will you do it right away? There must be an intricate process when you are going around demolishing properties in the name of buffer zones and FTLs. The court isn’t ordering HYDRAA to stop demolitions at all costs. It is just that you are advised to follow a standard procedure when doing so.”
Meanwhile, CM Revanth Reddy has made it clear that HYDRAA is bound to hurt the feelings of certain individuals but the agency is intended to creat a safer natural water flow system that would save the city in the longer course