HYDRA gets more powers to protect public assets

Hyderabad: The State government on Wednesday has now empowered the HYDRA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency) to protect the public assets and disaster management within the GHMC limits. The government on Wednesday issued orders delegating powers to the HYDRA. Specifying the reasons, the government has said that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was one of the biggest urban local bodies in the country with an extent of about 650 sq kms. Commensurate with its geographical extent, the number and size of public assets like parks, grounds, and lakes under GHMC were also very huge and spread across its jurisdiction. In the context of growing urbanisation, there was increased vulnerability of these public assets to encroachments.

Protection of these public assets has assumed greater significance as most of these assets act as lung spaces for the city environs, useful for future recreational and essential community needs as well as indispensable to mitigate climate change effects. The government opined that it was imperative that these valuable assets be protected with proper attention and constant surveillance, which can be possible by a specialised agency with a professional approach. Against this backdrop, it was considered essential that the services of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) can be engaged for effective protection of all public assets within GHMCs. Protection of such assets would be helpful in disaster mitigation efforts, and the HYDRAA being a specialised agency for both disaster management and asset protection can take care of both issues.

The notification issued on Wednesday said, “In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 374B of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, the Commissioner, HYDRAA, is hereby empowered to protect public assets like roads, drains, public streets, water bodies, open spaces, and public parks belonging to the GHMC or to the State government, within the jurisdiction of the GHMC, so as to preserve them from any kind of illegal encroachment, for the purpose of disaster management and protection of public assets.”