Hydraa teams, backed by police, demolished illegal structures on 36 acres in Kondapur after a High Court order. Farmers claimed land pattas, but the site was fenced as government property.

Hyderabad: Tense scenes unfolded in Kondapur on Saturday as Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (Hydraa) reclaimed 36 acres of government land at Bikshapathi Nagar, acting on a High Court directive.

Farmers and residents resisted the demolition drive, arguing they had pattas and had lived there for over three decades. Despite heated exchanges, police provided cover for Hydraa teams, who used JCBs to raze tin sheds and permanent structures before fencing off the site.

Officials confirmed the land, valued at nearly ₹3,600 crore, had been encroached upon. Hydraa later erected signboards warning against trespass.

The clash highlights the growing tension between urban expansion and long-time settlers in fast-developing suburbs. For residents, the loss means displacement; for the state, it represents an assertion of authority over high-value land. Experts note such conflicts will likely intensify as Hyderabad’s real estate market pushes into fringe zones.