Uttam Calls for Zero Tolerance on Irrigation Land Encroachments

Rapid Summary

• Crackdown on Encroachments: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed officials to urgently address land encroachments involving the irrigation Department’s properties in Telangana. Encroached lands are valued at hundreds of crores, prompting a “zero tolerance” policy.
• Specific Areas Identified: in Hyderabad, 131.31 acres of encroachment have been identified from 426.30 acres under WALAMTARI and TGERL near Gandipet and Rajendranagar-81.26 acres are under litigation (ITIR limits), while another 50.13 acres face direct illegal occupation.
• Pending Legal Cases: 20 district court cases and two High Court cases relate to these encroachments.
• Action Plan: Officials instructed to:

– Fence reclaimed areas instantly to prevent further illegal occupation.
– Prepare an inventory of all department properties statewide.
– Explore possibilities for solar power projects on irrigation lands near canals as future initiatives for lift irrigation projects.

• Senior Officials Present: Special Secretary Prashant Jeevan Patil, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, R&R Commissioner Shivakumar Naidu, Engineers-in-Chief Afzal Hussain and others attended the meeting.

Indian Opinion Analysis

This development underscores the increasing urgency in addressing land management issues across Telangana as urbanization accelerates and valuable government resources face ongoing threats from illegal encroachments-a pattern evidenced particularly around Hyderabad’s strategic locations like ITIR limits near Gandipet and Rajendranagar.

The minister’s directive signals a possibly robust approach combining legal recourse with infrastructure protections like fencing-a necessary measure given both financial implications (crore-valued assets) and societal interests tied to effective governance of public resources such as research institutes or canal-adjacent regions targeted for solar energy use proposals.Proactive coordination among departments (e.g., Revenue, HYDRAA) will likely serve as an important benchmark; however, pending litigation signifies challenges ahead requiring sustained administrative attention if meaningful outcomes are achieved in safeguarding such properties statewide while supporting sustainable alternatives like renewable power setups.

Read more: The Hindu