We have nothing to do with woman’s suicide, says HYDRAA chief

The HYDRAA commissioner, AV Ranganath, on Friday said no notices were issued to anyone and added that the woman who died by suicide in her house at Kukatpally allegedly resorted to the extreme step after apprehensions expressed by her daughters.

The deceased’s daughters who stayed near to Kukatpally lake far from the FTL, had an apprehension that their houses (given by their parents) may be demolished and so questioned their mother about it.

Feeling sensitive to the daughter’s questioning, the woman had allegedly died by suicide. HYDRAA has nothing to do with this episode, he said in a statement and requested the media, especially social media, to stop creating fear about HYDRAA.

In fact, every and any demolition happening in the State is being attributed to HYDRAA, he said and added that the agency has not been part of any survey of Musi for demolition.

He also termed as false the news that HYDRAA is planning for large scale demolitions along the Musi river. The government has given very clear instructions in this regard that no poor/lower middle class person should suffer due to demolition, Ranganath added.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) standing attorney admitted in earlier sessions that no authorities had ever been to the property or given demolition orders.
The HYDRAA, meanwhile, has insisted that it followed a government directive that was issued on July 19 and authorized operations to remove unlawful constructions. The court considered earlier temporary rulings that forbade interfering with the current construction without first undergoing the required legal procedures.

The petitioners also drew attention to the Sunday morning incident, in which they say the authorities used bulldozers and other heavy gear to break up their property and throw away their personal things, in direct violation of previous court orders.

As part of its function as a coordinating body for the protection of government assets, HYDRAA's counsel contended that they were acting in response to a Tahsildar order to help with the demolition of buildings considered illegal on government property.

Justice Lakshman responded by stating that it appeared that HYDRAA and other authorities had disregarded court orders and by demanding an explanation from the Tahsildar, Ameenpur Mandal, and the HYDRAA Commissioner. On September 30, there will be additional procedures about this topic, and authorities must show up in person or by video.