Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) secured nearly seven acres of land earmarked for parks and public utilities in Kondapur. This followed complaints of encroachment in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Colony area.According to records, a gram panchayat layout comprising 2,059 plots was approved for Rajarajeshwari Nagar Colony in 1993. According to the layout, five acres were earmarked for a govt junior college, almost one acre for a school, over one acre for parks and 2,181 square yards for a community hall.Residents alleged that portions of the land reserved for public purposes had been encroached upon. Around 1,000 square yards of land earmarked for a school has been developed into an apartment block. Private shops and sheds were built on land set aside for community use. Encroachments were also reportedly affecting roads in the layout.During HYDRAA’s public grievance programme, the colony welfare association raised the issue, stating that lands reserved for parks and public purposes are not eligible for regularisation under LRS and should remain for community use. The association sought to protect these spaces for the benefit of the about 5,000 families living in the colony.Following a field inspection by officials, the land was verified as parkland and public utility space in accordance with the approved layout. The encroachments were removed, fences were erected around the identified plots and signs were put up to indicate their designated public use.
