Won’t spare anyone who encroaches upon lakes: Revanth on razing Nagarjuna property

A day after the demolition of the state-of-the-art N Convention centre, co-owned by actor Nagarjuna, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said on Sunday (August 25) that his government wouldn’t spare anyone who encroached upon lakes even if they are influential in society.

Speaking at a function by the Hare Krishna Movement, Reddy said he would follow the teachings of Lord Krishna [in the Bhagwad Geeta] that for the good of the people, one should follow Dharma in order to defeat Adharma through a fight.

Purpose of HYDRAA

Officials of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and Town Planning, Irrigation and Revenue departments on Saturday removed encroachments in the Full Tank Level (FTL) and Buffer zones of Tammidikunta lake. Among the many structures removed was the N-Convention centre co-owned by Nagarjuna.

The N-Convention is built in the FTL / Buffer zone and has no building permission, said a government release. “That is the reason that despite pressure, though (some of our) friends have farmhouses, the HYDRAA was created (to protect lakes and government properties),” said Reddy.

“I want to do some good to the people as part of that. The sole objective is to liberate these lakes from encroachers. We will crush encroachments with an iron hand. Though there is pressure, we will not back down and we will remove those encroachments,” he asserted.

Damage done by farmhouses

Lakes are part of Indian culture and people depend on them for livelihood, he said. He added that some farmhouses built near lakes release sewerage into drinking water bodies such as Gandipet Lake, which supply drinking water to parts of the city.

Reddy further said he would not be a true public representative if he failed to protect the lakes and interests of people.

The city’s chain of lakes was designed by the erstwhile Nizam administration after a great deluge in 1908 with the help of famed engineer Mokshagundam Vishvesvaraya.

(With agency inputs)