HYDRAA’s aggressive approach has more robbers in fear; will the mafia retreat or regroup?

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Hyderabad: Whether by design or coincidence, the name of this new government agency befits the purpose for which it was set up. The sound of HYDRAA (Hyderabad Asset Management and Protection Agency), recently launched by the Telangana government, has a menacing ring to it! Its main mandate is to reclaim encroached land from the lakes and nalas of Hyderabad and protect government property. Led by a dynamic police officer, the agency has started with a bang, first targeting high profile ‘encroachers’ and promising to take it all the way until all public lands are cleared of illegal structures

A good initiative that is long overdue. Higher incidences of urban flooding seem to be directly related to the increased filling of natural water bodies. Of course, more concrete on the surface of the city leads to more storm runoff and when the natural contours are filled, it is only natural that roads and houses flood during heavy rains. Moreover, lakes are groundwater recharge mechanisms and also act as heat absorbers and humidifiers, thereby modulating the microclimate. With a nice walking path and gardens, lakes are welcome relaxation zones for a stressed population. Not to mention, they are a natural habitat for birds and bees (and fish).

The reality is that most of the city’s lakes (including the iconic Hussain Sagar) have become cesspools with raw sewage and industrial pollutants flowing freely into them. They emit an unpleasant odour, sometimes even toxic gases, and the stagnant waters are a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A pile of plastic and other waste completes the rather ugly picture. The water is SO toxic that even fish cannot survive in it.

A war against illegal construction in the city, though much needed, is hopeless. More than half of the city will be in ruins if demolition is carried out. Therefore, the focus on the encroachment of the lake and the Nala is welcome as it addresses the specific issue of flooding that affects all citizens. The question is – will it be enough? Essentially, most of these lakes or ponds are man-made and meant for agricultural irrigation. As the city grew, they became ‘islands’ within it and lost their original purpose. The loss of their functionality was the death knell for these water bodies and made them vulnerable to misuse. They either became purely aesthetic, especially for the active types for their daily walks and jogs, or backwaters as dhobi ghats and animal bathing ghats, though these are rare today. The Hussain Sagar, due to its central location and size, has transformed from a drinking water reservoir to a tourist attraction and a sailing spot.

Just as important to the drainage of rainwater as the lakes are the connecting links – rather unceremoniously called nalas. They connect one lake to another along natural contours, so that the overflow from one lake forms the inflow of a lower lake, and so on, until all the excess water is drained into the Musi – the lowest point of our city. HYDRAA plans to unclog these nalas as well, but it will be a challenge as most of them are hemmed in by dense settlements. But without widening these arteries – making them wider and wider as they reach the Musi because of the cumulative effect – there is not much point in reclaiming the lakes. So far, we have not seen much action on these ‘mini-rivers’.

There are still a few things that have not yet become clear from this sudden burst of HYDRAA-action. Some of them are:

Even if we assume that most of the lakes and nalas are cleaned up, will it be enough to prevent flooding, since the city has been concreted so quickly that there is hardly any soft ground left for water to seep into, especially in the new growth areas like HiTec City. Have any calculations been made or strategies developed to see how much retention capacity is needed to secure the drainage?

Where to dump all the rubble from the demolition and the city’s normal construction waste? After all, it was the fragile shores of the lake that were filled in with the rubble to ‘create’ more land. Two birds with one stone.

What happens when a lake is hopefully returned to its near-pristine state? Who is responsible for keeping it that way? How are sewage and chemicals kept from entering? What happens to the basin in the summer? Does it not become a landfill? Such pessimism may not be justified if good work is done, but if we don’t plan, the whole thing could go back to square one.

Is HYDRAA some kind of Rapid Action Force on mission mode that will be disbanded once it completes its mandate? Or is it a typical government agency that loses its enthusiasm when the current head is transferred or a new government is elected? Remember that the GHMC and HMDA have the same powers as HYDRAA to act against illegal construction. Yet they have become complacent and in many cases have become party to fraud by issuing approvals based on fictitious documents! There is no doubt that HYDRAA’s aggressive approach has instilled fear in the minds of potential lake raiders and put a stop to further encroachments. But how long can fear reign? The mafia operating in this area is powerful and will soon regroup to strike back and find new ways to spread their trade.

Disclaimer:

Author – Shankar Narayan.

The opinions and views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of NewsMeter.