Since 2024, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency, HYDRAA, has removed structures standing on lakes, nalas, parks and government land across the city. For owners and buyers, the key questions are practical: can my building be touched, what notice must I get, and how do I check a property before I buy it?
What HYDRAA is
HYDRAA was set up by the Telangana government on 19 July 2024 (G.O.Ms.No.99). It covers the core urban region up to the Outer Ring Road: the GHMC area and the surrounding parts of Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Sangareddy districts.
In October 2024 the government gave it statutory powers under Section 374B of the GHMC Act, 1955, as amended that year. These powers let it protect public assets belonging to the GHMC or the state, such as roads, drains, lakes, parks and open spaces, and remove encroachments on them. It works with the GHMC, HMDA, and the revenue and irrigation departments, whose records it relies on.
What it acts against
Most HYDRAA action falls into four groups:
- structures inside a lake's Full Tank Level (FTL), the line the water reaches when the lake is full;
- structures in the buffer zone around a lake or along a nala, where building is not allowed. The buffer is generally 30 metres for lakes of 10 hectares or more and 9 metres for smaller lakes; along nalas the width depends on the nala;
- encroachments on government land, parks, layout open spaces and roads;
- obstructions to storm-water drains that cause flooding.
Which buildings it has said it will not demolish
HYDRAA's commissioner has said publicly that the agency will not demolish:
- buildings that had permission before July 2024, even if the land is later found to be in the FTL or buffer zone; or
- homes already built and occupied by July 2024, even without permission.
The same statements say that commercial structures built without permission inside the FTL can still be removed, and that anything built in the FTL after HYDRAA was formed will be removed whether or not it had permission.
These are policy statements, not law. They can change, and they do not stop other authorities, such as the GHMC or the irrigation department, from acting under their own laws. Treat them as helpful, not as a guarantee.
The notice and hearing you are entitled to
On 13 November 2024, the Supreme Court laid down nationwide safeguards against arbitrary demolition:
- a show-cause notice, with 15 days to reply;
- a personal hearing;
- a reasoned final order;
- another 15 days after the order before any demolition, so the owner can remove the structure or go to court;
- video recording of the demolition.
These safeguards do not apply to unauthorised structures in public places such as roads, footpaths and railway lines, or in a river or water body, or where a court has ordered the demolition. Many HYDRAA cases involve lakes, so owners should not assume the 15-day rule protects them.
Even so, the statute under which action is taken still requires notice and a fair chance to be heard. The Telangana High Court has repeatedly questioned demolitions carried out without proper notice or a proper survey of the land. It has also left it open to owners to claim compensation where the action was found unlawful.
If you receive a notice
- Read it closely. Note which law and section it is under, what it says is wrong (FTL, buffer zone, government land, nala or road) and the last date to reply.
- Gather your documents. These include:
- the sale deed and link documents;
- the building permission and approved plan, and any occupancy certificate;
- any LRS or BRS regularisation order;
- property tax receipts and the encumbrance certificate;
- the survey sketch and the Bhu Bharati record.
- Reply in writing, on time. Ask for the documents the notice relies on, such as the lake's FTL notification, the survey report and maps. Ask for a joint survey with the revenue and irrigation departments, and for a personal hearing.
- Keep proof of when you received the notice and when you replied.
- If demolition is threatened without a fair process, a writ petition in the Telangana High Court can ask for a stay. Speed matters: courts act quickly when they are approached before the demolition, not after.
Before you buy
The biggest legal risk in Hyderabad property since 2024 is buying inside a lake's FTL or buffer zone. Before you pay an advance:
- Check the lake maps. The HMDA lakes portal (lakes.hmda.gov.in) shows each notified lake's FTL and buffer zone by district, mandal and village. HYDRAA also publishes lake and FTL information.
- Match the survey number. Check the land's survey number against the lake maps and the Bhu Bharati record, and look for it in the prohibited properties list.
- Verify the building permission. Confirm it was issued by the GHMC, HMDA or the municipality, and that the building follows the approved plan.
- Ask about NOCs. For land near a lake or nala, ask whether an irrigation department NOC was obtained.
- Check the project on TG-RERA. For a flat, open the project page on the TG-RERA website and review its approvals.
Our property due diligence checklist covers title, approvals and registration in more detail. Our stamp duty calculator shows what registration will cost.
If you already bought a flat that turns out to be affected
A buyer who paid a builder for a flat that cannot lawfully stand may have claims against the builder. These include a refund with interest under RERA, a complaint to the consumer commission, or a civil suit. The home loan remains payable to the bank, so act early and keep every payment record. Our TG-RERA complaint guide explains the RERA route.
Key takeaways
- HYDRAA acts on lakes, buffer zones, nalas, parks and government land up to the Outer Ring Road.
- Its public statements protect buildings permitted before July 2024 and homes occupied by then, but they are not law.
- The Supreme Court's 15-day demolition safeguards do not cover structures in water bodies, so reply to any notice immediately.
- Check the HMDA lake maps and the building permission before buying.
