HYDRA authorities resorted to the demotion of N Convention following a complaint that it was constructed in the FTL of Thummidikunta Lake.
Published Aug 24, 2024 | 11:23 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 24, 2024 | 7:47 PM
The demolished N-Convention Centre. (Screengrab)
In a pre-dawn swoop, the officials of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) pulled down film actor Nagarjuna-owned N-Convention in Madhapur on Saturday, 24 August. The property is allegedly built on encroached land in the FTL of the Thummidikunta Lake in Hyderabad.
The authorities reached the spot with police forces in the morning, and using the heavy articulated demolition equipment began pulling down the high-end luxurious convention centre. The officials closed all roads leading to the convention centre before commencing the demolition.
According to sources, of the 6.33 acres of land on which the convention centre had come up, 3.3 acres of land is in the Full Tank Level (FTL) of the Thummidkunta Lake in Madhapur. As construction of any building within the buffer zone and FTL is verboten, the HYDRA authorities demolished construction.
HYDRAA authorities resorted to the demotion of the N Convention following the receipt of a complaint that it was constructed in the FTL of Thummidikunta Lake. The complaint sought action to restore the lake to its original area of 29.24 acres, by removing all constructions that had come up in its FTL and buffer zone.
Though the previous BRS government proposed its demolition way back in 2014, it did not do it for reasons not made public. At that time, the demolition squad positioned itself outside the convention centre but withdrew subsequently.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who was in the TDP then, cornered the then BRS government (2014-18) on why the N Convention Centre was allowed to function despite more than three acres of the area on which the building stood was part of the FTL of the Thummidkunta lake.
At that time the then irrigation minister T Harish Rao asked Revanth Reddy to address the question to the municipal department as the lake fell in the jurisdiction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Telugu actor Nagarjuna took to X, to deny the encroachment allegations, and stated that he has “Not done any actions in violation of law.”
Further stating that they have a stay order from the court against any earlier illegal notice for demolition, he added, “The demolition was carried out wrongfully based on misinformation.”
He further wrote: “No notice was issued prior to carrying out the demolition this morning. 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.”
Nagarjuna also said that, they would be seeking appropriate relief from the Court, “In relation to the wrong actions carried out by the authorities.”
Pained by the unlawful manner of demolition carried out in respect of N Convention, contrary to existing stay orders and Court cases.
I thought it fit to issue this statement to place on record certain facts for protecting my reputation and to indicate that we have not done any…— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) August 24, 2024
Now HYDRAA, having obtained a carte blanche from the state government, has been on an over-drive in demolishing the buildings that have come up on the FTL and buffer zones of lakes in Hyderabad.
The HYDRAA, whose chairperson is the chief minister himself, has already demolished several buildings and even set sight on a farmhouse in Janwada—reportedly built on the FTL of the Osman Sagar Lake— and is believed to be owned by someone who is benami of BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
At the moment, the HYDRAA is going slow on the demolition of the farmhouse in Janwada after its owner B Pradeep Reddy filed a petition in the Telangana High Court. Though the court did not issue any stay orders, it however asked the authorities to follow due procedure before demolition of any structure.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula.)
