Hyderabad: Even as govt agencies, including HYDRAA, intensify action against encroachments of lakes and water bodies, a villa project in Koheda village has allegedly continued construction for nearly a year after encroaching upon three feeder channels of a water body. This is despite multiple inspections and repeated notices issued by the irrigation and revenue departments. Correspondence exchanged among the irrigation, revenue and municipal authorities since Sept 2025 has so far failed to halt the construction, sources said.The latest communication came on Oct 6, when N Vijender Reddy, deputy executive engineer, irrigation sub-division-3, Hyderabad, wrote to the Abdullapurmet tahsildar stating that a villa project was being developed by allegedly encroaching on the feeder channel of Chinna Cheruvu (HMDA lake ID No. 1962) in Koheda village of Abdullapurmet mandal. The letter also noted that the developer had not obtained a no objection certificate (NOC) or prior permission from the irrigation department.“The villa project is coming up in survey Nos. 155,156,159,160,161,163,164 and 167 in Koheda village. A canal and streams are passing from south to north direction in survey No. 156. Streams are passing from south to north that will be acting as feeder channel of Chinna Cheruvu near Pedda Amberpet. I have written to the tahsildar and municipal authorities of Adibhatla zone of GHMC,” Vijender Reddy told TOI.Letters and inspection reports accessed by TOI show that the first inspection was conducted by irrigation department officials on Sept 15, 2025. Officials found that portions of the villa project had reportedly come up within the maximum flood level (MFL) area and buffer zone of the Chinna Cheruvu feeder channel. The inspection report warned that the construction could obstruct the natural flow of water and lead to inundation and flooding problems in upstream areas.A second joint inspection involving revenue and irrigation officials was conducted on Sept 25, 2025. During the inspection, the mandal surveyor demarcated the project boundaries and found, based on toposheets and village maps, that a canal passes through survey No. 156 from south to north.“On physical observation of the site, it is observed that the developers had not provided any provision for any of the streams area statement and the feeder channels were encroached. In the MFL and buffer zone, 11 basements with pillars, seven villas, a compound wall and one office building have already come up,” the joint inspection report said.Following the inspections, the irrigation department wrote to the Abdullapurmet tahsildar, the Turkayamjal municipal commissioner and the Adibhatla municipal authorities on multiple occasions, including in Feb 2026 and again this month, seeking cancellation of the layout and villa project approvals and urging them to take necessary action. However, officials said no action has been taken so far, and construction activity has allegedly continued.With no visible progress on enforcement, residents of Koheda raised the issue once again during the chief minister’s Prajavani programme on Oct 6. Sources said the complaint was subsequently forwarded by the state nodal officer to the irrigation department and the Rangareddy district collector for further action.
