The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA) has commenced the demolition of actor Nagarjuna’s N-Convention Centre. This action follows allegations that the facility encroached upon the Full Tank Level (FTL) area and buffer zone of the Thammidikunta Lake.
The FTL area, which refers to the maximum extent a water body can cover, is protected by regulations that restrict construction to preserve water bodies. Additionally, a buffer zone around the FTL area is established to prevent encroachments. According to reports, Nagarjuna’s Convention Centre allegedly occupies 1.12 acres within the FTL area and an additional 2 acres within the buffer zone. The FTL area of Thammidikunta Lake is estimated to be approximately 29.24 acres.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had previously tasked zonal commissioners with forming lake protection committees to prevent such encroachments. Recent data from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) revealed a 61 percent reduction in the extent of lakes in Hyderabad from 1979 to 2024.
The property had been under scrutiny for several years, but the GHMC had not taken action, reportedly due to the influence of the convention centre’s management. An official complaint was filed by Telangana’s Minister of Roads and Buildings, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, on Wednesday. The complaint included an FTL map and a Google Earth map illustrating the alleged encroachment.
In response to the demolition, Nagarjuna addressed the issue on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), asserting that the land is Patta land, and that no FTL area was encroached upon. He expressed his willingness to comply with legal decisions, stating, “As a law-abiding citizen, if the Court before which the matter is pending, had decided against me, I would have carried out the demolition myself.” He also claimed that no prior notice was issued before the demolition began.
HYDRA, recently constituted by the Congress government for Telangana Core Urban Region (TCUR), is responsible for disaster management and asset protection, including government assets such as parks, open spaces, playgrounds, and lakes. The ongoing demolition of the N-Convention Centre underscores the authorities’ commitment to safeguarding Hyderabad’s water bodies and enforcing regulatory measures against encroachments.
Sources By Agencies
